Love In Disguise
by hsm07
Summary: All nine of them attended a boarding school with no parents, no chores, and no limitations. But what happens when you mix lies, cheaters, and deception in the mix? A lot of things that only happen to teenagers. Troyella,Jelsi, minor:Zekepay, and Chaylor.
1. Trailer

So this is a story that has been in my head for a while now and I kind of think this one will be my best story yet. The catch is though, I'm not gonna start this one until I'm absolutely done with my other two stories, Finding Love,and Distractions. So a trailer is all you're gonna get until probably the end of May or early June.

* * *

**When a new school year starts, that means another year with your friends at Davidson Academy. **

**No parents, no chores, and no limitations.**

"That's so like her. Make a teacher stalk her and get everyone to feel sorry for her."

--

"I mean, I broke two pairs of heels last year because of being outside with Troy and you don't see me complaining to the police."

**Love picks up from where it left off, and sometimes it's just too hard to get back on track.**

"It's the big 8 tomorrow."

"What?"

"The BIG 8! With Tay...your girlfriend?...Your anniversary."

"So? It's only 8."

"The BIG 8! Tay loves the number 8...don't tell me you forgot."

--

"You were my room mates boyfriend for 3 years Troy!"

"Just...Brie don't walk away, please."

"It's not right."

"Just give me a chance."

**Emotions run high at times.**

"Montez, your fuck buddies here with his camera."

"Hey." Jason greets quietly.

"So Troy and I aren't allowed one night together, but you two can make a porn video?!"

"Hey." Gabriella replied back quietly.

"Gabi, you're shaking."

"Am I?"

"Are you sick?" Sharpay shot Troy daggers.

--

"This is fucked up Tay. Don't fucking lie to me!"

"I"m sorry." She sobbed. "Chad and I--"

"Chad and you can go to hell." Zeke snarled.

**Some people have agendas to follow.**

"I've wanted to ask you this since the end of sophomore year." The blond haired boy explained.

"Well now you can. No more interruptions." The shy brunette stated with a sweet smile.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

--

"I've been waiting 3 fucking years for her. It's bound to be my time any day now." The afro clad boy declared.

"I know it is."

"Just like you and Troy Gabi."

--

"You're gonna get through this Gabi, but in the mean time, you can help me find a girlfriend." Jason smiled.

She rolled her eyes, "Which click haven't you dated?"

**But along the way, what if it's not love their feeling anymore?**

"No seriously,...what are you doing out here?"

"You know me Brie."

--

"I'm sorry. It just happened!" Kelsi exclaimed.

"Yeah, and I magically fell on the sidewalk and lip locked with an actress!"

--

"Troy broke up with me!" Sharpay sobbed.

The brunette looked down at the ground guiltily. "I'm sorry Sharpay."

"I don't need your sympathy Montez!" She snarled.

--

"I love you, you know that." Taylor reasoned. "You'll always have a spot in my heart."

"Yeah," Zeke said sarcastically. "And you'll always have a spot in mine."

**When one falls, the only other way is going up.**

"Gabi, I LOVE YOU!" He declared.

"SHUT UP!"

"AND YOU LOVE ME, JUST ADMIT IT!"

--

"I hate break ups, they always put a damper on my day." Sharpay scoffed.

"I know how you feel." The male agreed.

--

"What are you doing?" The nervous voice of Kelsi asked.

"Just trust me." Jason soothed.

--

"I want you Troy Bolton, and it scares me, but here we are!" She declared.

"..."

"Say something Troy!"

"Don't move!"

--

"I've been watching you ever since freshman year."

"Chad...we can't."

"I don't see you moving."

**There's lies, secrets, and deception...**

"I thought you loved me?"

"Maybe we rushed things?"

"You can't rush things after three years."

--

"I don't care Kelsi, I'll help you no matter what." Ryan promised.

"Ry, just stop." She pleaded.

"No, just tell me what's wrong. I'll always be here to help you."

"I kissed someone else."

--

"Why won't you let me in Brie?" Troy caressed her cheek.

"Because I don't even let myself in." Gabriella walked away.

"One day you're gonna realize I love you! And when you do, I'll be here waiting!" He promised.

--

"I can't keep doing this Tay. We're either together or not."

"Chad, I can't even wrap my mind around this, much less make a decision."

"The balls in your hand, I suggest you get rid of it before it rolls away on it's own."

**Follow the lives of--**

**Troy Bolton the CHAMPION,**

**Gabriella Montez the CONFUSED GIRL,**

**Chad Danforth the FRIEND,**

**Taylor McKessie the GUILTY,**

**Jason Cross the DREAMER,**

**Kelsi Nielson the HOPEFUL,**

**Zeke Baylor the NICE GUY,**

**Sharpay Evens the DRAMA QUEEN,**

**and**

**Ryan Evens the SAD SOUL...**

**-In-**

**Love In Disguise.**

**Coming this summer.**

What do you guys think? I am really excited to write it and am already writing out ideas for it as usually I only do stories on Troyella, and I've alreayd experimented with the couple as kids in high school and Finding Love is about them as adults, so now I wanted to try something different. Them at a bording school and I think this is nothing like anyone else's story plot, so that just excites me more. But tell me what you think, I'm really interested in your ideas and thoughts.

* * *


	2. Meet You There

_climb up on a mountain, just to watch it come down  
but sooner or later babe you're gonna need me around  
'cause you're getting older, there ain't no stopping that,  
it's a backstabbing world honey, just lean your head back_  
Meet You There, Augustana

* * *

Senior year is supposedly the biggest year that all kids look forward too. It is the year that their class comes together and pulls class pranks, get caught by administrators, and then follow through with the consequences that the teachers give them for egging their houses or toilet papering their trees around Davidson Academy.

Senior year is different for everyone. Some look for adventure, a daring event that will change how people look at them for their entire life, or at least until they forget and have some other memory that is better than senior year to fill their brain with.

Senior year for some is the last milestone of their high school career, it's a pampering year before you get kicked out and put out into the real world where people expect you to succeed at whatever you chose. Whether you take over the family business of board meetings, paper work, long hours of working your mind into overload of math problems and numbers, or start your own business of whatever you like. It could be about saving the world of Global Warming, figuring out why some people eat bananas with peanut butter, or even start up your own crazy sport and use the money you get from that to help you find the reason to peoples' wierd eating habits.

Senior year opened up many possibilities with classes. You no longer had to wait for the older students to take all the good classes with the good teachers, AP classes weren't filled as you got to be the ones filling them. You have three classes of students under you hoping that you don't take Mrs. Gribble for Earth Science. You get to be the first in lunch lines, you get the good seats for sport events, and almost every student is intimidated by you.

It makes you feel in control. Which is what some students look forward too. They need the feeling that everything is going their way or else everything goes downhill and they just lose it. The safety net is no longer there as you enter high school, but then after putting up with seniors for three years; you become one and you're no longer sitting at the crappy lunch tables, getting cut for the line to the water fountain for a nice cold drink, and for some strange reason; you feel smarter and self-assured.

Davidson Academy was a home like no other. It was a boarding school that kids grades 9th through 12th spent nine and a half months at. They were molded for the outside world to succeed in business, entertainment, sports, and basically anything that was worth going for.

But none of that mattered Troy Bolton, the school's seniors basketball captain.

He always thought highly of senior year, what kid didn't? It's a buffer to get yourself ready for the outside world of college. You did what you were told as he was basically handed what he wanted since he has lead the basketball team for two years straight to the championships, and senior year wasn't going to be different.

"And there's the man I've been looking for!" Chad exclaims as he comes bounding over to his best friend of three years and they share a manly hug. "I saw your stuff already in the room."

"Mom wanted to drop me off yesterday since she and dad had this huge business meeting tomorrow or something over in China." Chad sends him a pointed look as if to explain. Troy rolls his eyes as he looks around and he could instantly point out the freshman or the new students as you could tell just by looking at the parents who clung to their kids, crying their eyes out that they were new.

He turns around and sees teachers moving around and he holds in a laugh as some try to avoid the parents that hunt them down to ask them last minute questions. He sees the fountain that was always running in good whether surrounded by trees that provided shade, sitting areas, and if you got a good tree then you could sit on the low branches that only were two feet from the ground.

"So man, how'd the basketball camp go over the summer?" Chad asks even though they had kept in touch over the summer through e-mail and the occasion long distance calling, but that was just Chad. Always having something to say.

Troy shruggs his shoulders, "You know…went for three weeks, barely slept, barely ate, just played ball...It was perfect."

"Nice." He congratulates him as all of a sudden a short brunette girl walks up to them with a white smile as she pulls off the red baseball hat she wore in the summer to keep the hot beating sun off of her pale skin that would be sure to burn and peel.

"Hey guys." Kelsi greets with excitement as she hugs Chad and then Troy. Troy could feel the excitement and amusement readiating off of her and he couldn't help the smile that came onto his face at just how happy she was that school was starting up again.

"Hey Kelsi. How are you doing? What'cha do this summer?" Chad asks as Troy remains silent. He knows how her summer went. He understands why she's avoiding their gaze for a second. He understands why she's playing with the end of a stray piece of hair. It was all just a mess and he had to sarcastically thank his girlfriend of three years for dragging him into it.

Kelsi shruggg finally. "You know. I got to go to this one Julliard thing for piano and music and stuff. So that was awesome, but…" She sighs as more kids file past them, each and every one of them gossiping already with their friends as the three seniors know exactly who and what they are talking about.

"They need to mind their own God damn business." Chad declared with bitterness lace within his voice as he crosses his arms over his chest and his biceps pop out.

Troy turns to look over his shoulder at the teacher condos that were off to the side next to the math buildings. He narrows his eyes as the very first one could be seen from the spot he was standing in right in front of the auditorium steps. His blood boils as he couldn't keep the memories of who lived in that condo out of his brain.

"I hate to ask this, but I didn't have time to call,Chad…how is she?" Kelsi asks quietly so listening ears that weren't supposed to hear have nothing to listen too.

Before Chad could answer Troy feels a slap on the back as Jason Cross came into view with a smile. "Hey guys." He greets as they do their guy handshake and Jason and Chad did one. "Senior year guys…a big one." He declares with a smile on his cream colored skin that was almost too white for being ninety degrees out all summer. His smile was a mask as Jason was the one who wouldn't let anything get to him, he was laid back and considerate of others, although he was cocky too sometimes.

"A HUGE one." Chad says excitedly as Troy was staring at the parking lot where kids were being dropped off at. A group of cheerleaders walk by giggling and blushing when Troy makes eye contact with them, and he silently rolls his eyes at their actions as everyone knew that he has a girlfriend. He has Sharpay. "And guess who finally got caught up on their math?" He asks as the three of them know the answer to that.

"But weren't you weeks behind?" Kelsi asks clearly puzzled as his best friend's shoulders go up and down in a shrug.

"Gabi helped me out as she was doing her own work." He explains as if it was nothing and Kelsi smacks him on the arm.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping her? Not the other way around. After all, you didn't miss two and a half months of school." Kelsi points out even though they all know Gabriella is way smarter than Chad.

"Where is everybody?" A deep voice asks as a darker skinned boy came into view and stood by Kelsi, oblivious to the hard gaze Chad is sending him; as for the past year Chad couldn't stand Zeke all of a sudden, and Troy knows that it was all because of one girl. Taylor McKessie.

"Hey dude." Jason greets as they share a half hug. It seems to Troy that almost everyone in the group kind of evaporated over the summer. They were all off doing their own things as Troy was at Duke for a summer basketball program, Chad and Gabriella were in California together since they live by each other, Kelsi was at Julliard, Ryan and Sharpay were on a cruise, Zeke was working at some restaurant Jason's dad owns, and Jason and Taylor were busy calling Gabriella from wherever they were located at to make sure she was okay.

"I know Tay and Gabi are getting here soon." Chad spoke up as Troy's heart picked up for some reason. He has to force her dark rich brunette curls out of his head and think about the blonde wavy hair of his girlfriend's. He has to change the eye color from dark chocolate brown to light brown that could go gray at times if she was really mad which was unusual because usually eyes went darker, but Sharpay's went lighter and it was scary. "I don't know where the Ice Prin--" Troy clears his throat making a point that if Chad goes any further he'd have to do something. Chad stops abruptly and thinks about what he is going to say. "I mean,…I don't know where Evens and Ryan are."

Zeke and Jason hold in their laughs as Kelsi rolls her eyes at the mention of Sharpay. It was pretty obvious to everyone that no one got along with Sharpay even though she is one of the most popular girls in the school.

"Last time I heard from Ryan he said something about going straight to his room because he didn't want to see…" Zeke trails off realizing what he was about to say and Troy now knows that he also knows about Ryan and Kelsi's break up.

Kelsi shuffles her feet, "Well…I'm gonna get going. I have a meeting with Ms. Darbus." Kelsi makes a face as Troy flashes her a smile and she waves goodbye before leaving the guys. "And tell Gabi I have to talk to her!" She calls back.

"_Oh my God!" _A higher pitch girl's voice is heard throughout the quad. The four guys look around as alarms go off through their heads "_She's back!_"

"_Who's back?_" Another person asks as Troy's eyes follow to where everyone is looking and talking about.

There in the parking lot is a long sleek black limo as almost every kid who wasn't a freshman came in because their parents couldn't be bothered to take them to school, and they couldn't bring cars for themselves for some unknown reason. A woman who looks to be about high thirties or low forties stepps out in dark blue jeans and a simple yellow tank top. She has long cascading curls framing her face as Troy can already tell she was in tears, but is holding them back.

"That's so like her." Troy's three friends tense up at hearing the snobby voice of Troy's girlfriend Sharpay. She comes and stands by Troy, wrapping his arm around her waist as his hand felt rough against her pink jacket the holds sparkles on it. "Make a teacher stalk her and get everyone to feel sorry for her."

Zeke and Chad roll their eyes as Sharpay sticks her sharp nose in the air, her creamy skin expanding out to cover her high cheek bones, her small manicured hand rests on his lower back and she smirks. Everyone knows that Gabriella and Sharpay do not get along, ever since freshman year everyone stays clear of them if they are in the same room. It is just unfortunate that the two are roommates.

Jason doesn't say anything as he is staring intently at the chocolate eyed beauty who just is stepping out of the limo being followed by her African American best friend Taylor who is top of the class as of right now.

Gabriella is wearing a sundress that shows off her bare shoulders and olive gleaming skin that seems to glisten in the sun. Her curls were to her shoulders as the dress stops right above her knees, showing off her strong legs that she uses for soccer and running.

"I mean, I broke two pairs of heels last year because of being outside with Troy and you don't see me complaining to the police." Sharpay adds and looks around at the four guys to see that neither any of them were listening, not even her boyfriend of three years. "Whatever…" Her voice was dry. "Troysie, are we still doing dinner tonight?" She double checks as he feels her long finger nails that are always painted pink grasp onto his chin and turn his head so he was looking at her.

"What? Oh yeah…." Troy clears his throat. "Oh yeah…wouldn't miss it babe."

Sharpay smiles triumphantly as if she was proving a point to people that they were still together. She leans up a little in her high heels that were none other than pink and presses a kiss to Troy's lips. "Fabulous. I'll see you later. Darbus wants a meeting with all the drama kids." Sharpay rolled her eyes as everone knows that she was one of the seniors that hate younger classmen.

You can hear the echoes of her high heels on the pavement as Chad rolls his eyes while the other two guys were too transfixed on the girls standing by the limo and the crying Ms. Montez.

"Dude, I know you want me to lay off of Evans, but if she says one thing to Gabi about last year I swear to God that I can't be held accounted for my actions." Chad states.

"Okay, I'll talk to her?" Troy offers weakly even though he knows that probably won't work unless he really gets onto Sharpay's good side and offers her something in return

"You better." Chad warns before cracking a smile and Troy knew he couldn't stay that serious for that long.

* * *

She takes a deep breath. The sun's rays hit the tinted windows, which should be a sign that it's a beautiful day, but she just feels dread. Her mother is looking forward, and away from her gaze as Gabriella knows that she is trying to hold everything together. Anna always knows what she is doing; she always has a plan to make things her way. That was the way Anna Montez learned how to take care of business; always keep things on your turf and in your control, but Gabriella knows that she was only trying to convince herself that she still maintained that authority.

Gabriella looks out her own window as the 17 year old girl crosses her legs nervously next to her, her fingers play with the seat threads of the limo; picking at it to keep herself busy as if she is trying to distract herself from the sad atmosphere between mother and daughter.

Gabriella shut her eyes blocking out images of what makes her mother so sad. Blocking out images of the funerals, the depressed people that offered her their sorrows and sympathies. Blocking out the blue eyes that stared intently at her all throughout the church service.

Gabriella's mother doesn't have a plan today. She knows she should have one, but her only daughter is leaving again after being with her for the longest of time ever since her divorce with Carlos Arias. She can't help the tears that escape her eyes as she wipes them away furiously; it is hard letting go of your only child when you are used to having two other ones to look after too.

"Ma'am, we're here." The sixty year old chauffer announces as he looks through his rear view mirror and his light blue eyes that remind Gabriella of her friend's eyes lock on her specifically; giving her a sad smile through the clear glass. Everyone knows what happened, everyone is going to be talking about it, but Gabriella is prepared to take what is coming. After all, she deserves it, or at least that is what she convinced herself of.

"Well…" Her mother bites back more tears. "I think we should go ladies. Taylor, are you supposed to call your parents to tell them you made it safely?" Anna asks as Gabriella's best friend of three years unclippsher seat belt and they both know that after spring break of the previous year Anna Montez has hardened her rules on safety and precaution.

"She just wants me to call her when we get inside Anna." Taylor replies when Joe, the chauffer who is balding on the top of his head with brown fluffy waves on his side opens Gabriella's car door first.

"There you go Ma'am." He says politely when Gabriella puts on a smile and rolls her eyes; clearing her head of negative thoughts.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Gabi?"

"As many times as it takes to keep the sun from rising." He jokes as Taylor gets out after Gabriella and her mother opens her own car door on her side.

The sun is already soaking into her olive skin as she pushes her curls behind her ears, letting it tickle her bare shoulders as she walks forward some and takes in the scenery.

The grass is a rich green as Gabriella knows the sprinklers always turn on at 3 o'clock every day and sometimes at 10 o'clock if it is really hot out which it often did heat up quickly in Pennsylvania if the sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds. The summers are hot and the winters are cold as Gabriella loves every minute of it. Something about being outside calms her for some unknown reason and she guesses that it has something to do with her father's love of traveling and going on adventures throughout different countries.

"So…anything changed?" Anna asks from behind Gabriella while she turns around, ripping her eyes away from the trees that offer you cool shade, the benches in the quad that she would just lay on at times to do homework, and the kids all around her as she knows they were talking about her while some are even dumb enough to point and stare as if she is an animal in the zoo.

"It all looks the same." Gabriella answers while Taylor is busy helping Joe take their bags out of the trunk. Taylor is a smart girl and could sense that the mother daughter need a moment to themselves.

"That's good. You're gonna have an awesome senior year Ella." She says with a watery smile and Gabriella offers her a small smile in return as it should feel weird to be back, but…it just feels natural.

"Thanks mom."

Anna clears her throat as she keeps the tears back. "Okay, so…you have your phone?"

"Check."

"And you have your laptop?"

"Uh…check."

"And you know you can call me at anytime if you want to come home?" Anna throws in.

"…check." Gabriella says softly as all of a sudden she is engulfed in a bone crushing hug and she wraps her own arms around her mother tightly. She didn't think it would be this hard to say goodbye, but it was. She just got so used to seeing her mom over the past five months, and now she will be lucky to see her over Christmas Break in three months.

"Breathe mom. I need to breathe." Gabriella chokes out as Anna finally let go of her with tears going down her face. "Oh mom…" Gabriella hushes.

"Be good. The both of you." She demands in a stern mother tone, but breaks out into a proud smile and looks at Taylor who now came to stand by Gabriella. "If I hear that either one of you pulls a senior class prank and gets caught then I will drive back up here and punish you myself."

Gabriella smiles as she knows her mother wasn't that serious. "Be good you two." She says as she opens her arms and hugs Taylor. "Call your parents sweetie, they haven't seen you in a couple of days."

"Yes Anna." Taylor replies as Gabriella rolls her eyes at Taylor and how she will be so polite around her mother sometimes when they both knkw that Taylor probably won't call her parents until at least a month into school.

"I love you two." She pulls Gabriella into another hug and Gabriella holds back the roll of her eyes. "Now behave and…go have fun." Anna pushes away from the two. "And be careful, study a lot--"

"Brush our teeth." Gabriella adds.

"Dress properly." Taylor continues as Anna narrows her eyes playfully on them.

"Go to bed on time."

"Stay away from boys."

"Don't drink."

"The list could go on and on mom. Just relax and go back to designing houses." Gabriella urges as she can feel people's gaze on her back. "Go." Gabriella shooes.

"Call me everyday." Anna commands as she is halfway in the car. "And if you don't then I'll think something's wrong and that's never good."

Taylor rolls her eyes as Gabriella fells her friend's hands on her two shoulders, slightly shaking her. "I will keep good track of this girl Anna. Stop worrying."

Gabriella smiles encouragingly at her mother while the door closes and the window rolls down once more. "Call if you need anything." Her voice became deathly serious and it sounded like the tone her mother took with her when Gabriella was in the police station during Junior year.

"I…uh…I will." Gabriella stutters and shakes the thoughts away as Joe started to drive away and it is now just Gabriella and Taylor with about six bags each as some of their clothes are already in their rooms.

Gabriella lets out a sigh as Taylor stepps in front of her and looks at her with a glint in her eye. "Now here's the real problem: how are we gonna carry these big suit cases up to the third floor? I mean, I know I'm smart, but I'm not strong."

"GABRIELLA!" A voice calls as Gabriella scrunches up her face in confusion and turns around. A smile erupts onto her face and her heart beat picks up. She didn't know that he was going to be here so soon, but little did she know, everyone in the gang is already there, they just want to give her time and space to herself after the last time they saw her.

He starts running swiftly over to her during which she looks him over. He has definitely gotten stronger than last year as his arm muscles can be made out through the orange t-shirt he is wearing. His dark brown hair goes down his forehead and into his eyes a little as he is known for flicking it to the side. His smile illuminates his face through his white skin that isn't as tan as Gabriella thought it was going to be like.

"Go on." Taylor urges as she nudges Gabriella in the back a little before Gabriella's strong running legs take off and she ran towards him, picking up speed as she jumps into his arms, causing them both to fall back like she wants them too.

She straddles him as she pins his hands above his head with a happy smirk spreading on her face. She has a lot of friends, but he is her best guy friend. She tells him almost everything imaginable; especially after he helped her last year.

"Hey…" Gabriella greets innocently while biting her bottom lip and she finally lets go of his hands as if she has been pinning him down for years.

"Hey yourself." He replies hoarsely as she continues to straddle him even though she is wearing a dress. She can see his eyes turn soft as the sparkles of green glisten even more while the sun beats down on them. His shirt is pushed up slightly from falling on the ground and her inner thighs are molding into his chiseled soon-to-be six pack. His hands slide to her waist as he holds her sturdily against his stomach while managing to sit up with her still wrapped around him. "I haven't seen you since…"

"The beginning of summer." Gabriella fills in quietly as his one hand goes up and swipes at one of her delicate curls that fell to frame her face.

"Seems like forever ago." His voice speaks quietly in a whisper when he shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath before opening them again with a gentle smile that Gabriella has come to trust. She always feels safe when she is near him. He is her best guy friend and is tied with Taylor between being the very best friend, even though Gabriella has tons of friends to begin with. Being the soccer captain for the continuing second year in a row has it's perks. It also helps that guys think she is hot even though that really didn't matter to Gabriella.

"I know what you mean." Her voice retracts in volumes as she pushes his hair out of his eyes and forces a chuckle to take away the seriousness of their soon-to-be conversation that she doesn't want to have. "When was the last time you got a haircut?"

He shrugs as his defined shoulders bulge up in his shirt and then go down to normal. "I have to get one before basketball starts."

Gabriella smiles as she then remembers Taylor and five minutes ago how they were figuring out how to get their things up the stairs. She looks behind her and saw that hers and Taylor's bags were gone and she thinks she saw Zeke standing near Jason before and figured Tay got him to take them.

"So how's the documentary coming along?" Gabriella asks while his rough hands drop from her and he leans back on them while smiling like a five year old boy, showing off his white teeth.

"It's coming along. I still need to interview some seniors around here, and I'm trying to get an interview with the girl's soccer captain and star…you might know her?" He suggests as they continue talking like old friends do.

Gabriella can tell from just sitting on his lap in a comfort zone she hasn't been feeling for a while that this could possible turn out to be one of the better years. It has to be, there is no way that it can be worse than junior year.

"So I'm taking you out to dinner tonight, right?" He asks innocently.

"Jason…I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Jason leans up and off the ground as one of his hands dig around in his pockets for something deep and after a couple of seconds of searching he pulls out with a hand held video camera, held tightly in his right hand that Gabriella knows was a gift from his parents the previous year. Gabriella feels a blush erupt on her cheeks as he flicks and hit something before turning it on her and looking through the screen while smirking at her.

"How about that interview Montez?"

Gabriella laughs as she rolls off of him. "You'll have to catch me first." She gets up and starts running as he chases after her. Something the two were good at.

However, they were oblivious to the blue eyes staring at them intensely. This will definitely be an interesting year for them all.

* * *

**Author's Note--So I have no idea if this story is going to be good or not. I'm hoping that this will be one of my better ones and if it isn't then tell me what you don't like about it through constructive criticism. So review and tell me if I should definately continue this story and you're actually interested in it.**

**--Now...what i have planned for this story. It's going to be different compared to my other ones. I left hints in this chapter about who's been together in the past before, and who's together now, and if you think Jason and Gabriella are together right now, then...you'll just have to wait and see. Now what makes this different than my other ones is that I'm including everyone in my story. Instead of just focusing on Troy and Gabriella's personalities and their lives. I'm incorporating flashbacks and pasts of almost every character and somehow each and every one of them are going to go through life changing events, and I'm not staying they're going to all get into car crashes and BAM!, everyone has a new perspective on life, it's just the little things that change them like people in the everyday world.**

**--Also, a lot of you might recognize this idea from some book and here's my little confession, I read one book in the series, It Girl, and I fell in love with how the characters were and that is when I started thinking, what if Troy was dating Sharpay? What if GAbriella and Jason had a past with each other? And then voila, I have my new story in my head that I need to get out onto the computer.**

--**With those things being said...I hope you will consider reading this story even though I'm gonna be incorporating the other characters too and I'm WARNING you now that I am going to take things slow, to build up their characters and if it's too slow for you, then tell me and I'll see if I can maybe make changes, but probably won't. Thanks.**


	3. LOVE

_L is for the way you look at me  
O is for the only one I see  
V is very, very extraordinary  
E is even more than anyone that you adore can _

L.O.V.E--Frank Sinatra

* * *

_The air was crisp. The snow was falling like no other storm at Davidson Academy and it excited her. She loved the snow jackets that you bundled yourself in, the scarves coming in any color to follow your suit of personality, the gloves and mittens that kept your fingertips warm, and the snow boots that made prints in the foot high snow that just kept coming. _

_She sighed in contentment as she looked up and snowflakes fell on her eyelids. She kept walking on the icy path, already knowing where she was supposed to be and that she was late, but she was trying to prolong what to come as long as possible._

_She looked around and saw teachers shoveling their walkways to their condos that they live in since they were at school for nine and a half months out of the year. The water fountain wasn't running as the water in it was frozen over and snow was connecting on the top of it. Some kids were just getting here even though they shut down most airports and roads due to the blistering weather, and she was just lucky that she arrived the day before just before the storm actually reached them. _

_She had dreaded this moment since her Christmas Break was awesome because she went down to Mexico with her family that consisted of her mom, dad, and sister Stacy who was twenty years old. That had to be the first time they went on a family vacation together since she started middle school four years ago. But what surprised her more was that Zeke Baylor and his family were there too. _

_She didn't know if the heat was what got to her during the two weeks she was there, but something changed. After knowing Zeke for a year and a half she found out that he was into basketball, cooking, and the outdoors. He was laid back and was almost always happy as he saw the good in people, which was rare in a person. It was the only explanation that something changed as a feeling came over her so that when Zeke asked her out on a date in Mexico, she accepted._

_She had never real saw him as a person she'd date, but that acceptation led to a fun-filled laughing and exciting date, which then led to the famous movie kiss where everything was perfect. He brought her back to her hotel room and before she walked into the room that she was sharing with her sister he stopped her and hesitantly lowered his lips to hers. _

_He ended up asking her out again for the next night and they fell into a pattern until their very last night together in Mexico he asked her to be his girlfriend, and then she paid the price. She said yes, going on her gut feeling; not knowing how much of an effect just a simple answer would have over Zeke's and certain guys friendship._

"_Tay!" An excited voice called out bringing Taylor out of her thoughts. She kept the sympathy off her face as to not indicate what she was going to say next might hurt him. Almost everyone knew that Chad has had a crush on her since freshman year, but Taylor just didn't feel the same way for him, although she still chose to remain good friends with him since Chad made an awesome and fun friend that you could rely on._

_She turned her body ninety degrees and saw Chad coming towards her with a smile covering his features of medium dark skin, white teeth glowing through the heavy snow fall, and only wearing jeans and a sweatshirt in this kind of weather._

"_Hey." She greeted back with a forced smile on her face. She hoped he couldn't tell that he would be told what happened during her vacation or else that smile on his face would be wiped clean, but Taylor shouldn't care that much, should she? He would learn to get over it and eventually they would be almost best friends again, right?_

_He skidded to a stop right by her as she could almost see the back of his throat through the smile and snow. That was just how much he was smiling and although he never did ask her out yet, she knew it was going to hurt him, and she just didn't want him to take it too personal._

"_Hey Tay." He greeted again in a now more inside voice instead of outside voice past this weather. "I've been looking for you." _

_Her heart sank deeper into her stomach and turned. He had been real nice and good to her these past two and a half years. Sure, they had flirted some, but he never official asked her out and she had never officially felt anything for him past the friends stage in relationships._

"_When did you get here?" She asked stalling time._

_He shrugged, "Ten minutes ago." He had a small pink blush erupt on the top of his high cheeks bones and he sheepishly looked down at the ground. They started walking in sink as Taylor had no idea where they were going, but it was nice just walking like nothing changed between them, which is hasn't…yet. Not until she tells him about Zeke. She made Zeke promise that she could be the one to tell him as Zeke seemed to be oblivious to Chad liking her. _

"_How did you get through with this weather?" She threw her hands up for emphasis as a snowflake landed on his eye lashes over his right eye and she laughed a little as he blinked it away with a contorted face on, trying to keep the water out of his eye._

"_You know…parents couldn't wait to boot their kids out of the house." He stated simply even though Taylor knew that he got along well with his parents compared to her and her sister who were complete opposites of what their parents expected._

"_Gabi and Jase just got back and are in Gabi's room while the Ice Princess is away." Chad made small talk as Taylor knew the real reason why she asked him over the phone to meet her for a walk. "Anyways…what's up?"_

_Taylor cleared her throat as she stopped walking and he looked really alarmed now. His dark almost black eyes bored into her; making her feel guilty for doing this, but she was happy with Zeke now, shouldn't Chad be happy for her? After all they were **just** friends._

"_Actually, I uh…" She turned away from him and started twisting her nervous fingers that were covered by gloves around the tree trunk's branch that was just low enough for her to reach. She started collecting snow absentmindedly as she felt Chad's presence behind her. "Well you…uh know….this is really good packing snow." She chickened out._

"_Oh really?" His voice held amusement._

"_Yeah." She clarified while she spun around and whipped a snowball at him as he didn't have time to react. His face was dripping wet, his mouth open in shock as he spit out the remaining snow, his cheeks red from the cold impact, and his mouth twitching at the sides while he bent down quickly and Taylor started running for cover. Slower than normal on the icy path._

"_Tay, you are so gonna get it!" She heard him exclaim as she let out a laugh._

"_You'll have to catch me first Danforth!"_

_He ran after her, a firm snowball ready while he got nearer and nearer on her trail. Taylor rounded a tree as she sunk lower and lower into the snow and it got too hard to run as she used the tree for a shield, but that didn't stop Chad as he threw it perfectly and hit her in the back of the head._

_She heard his deep throat chuckle and he smiled toothily at her. "Did I catch you fast enough?" He asked and Taylor thought of another answer. He was far behind in the race compared to Zeke , but she shook the thoughts as she didn't want to worry about that now._

"_I wonder what imprint you'd make in the snow…" She trailed off deliberately as his face twisted into confusion and she all of a sudden pushed him into the snow as he fell back, but not before grabbing onto her hand and she fell down on top of him._

_They landed with a 'humph' while their breath increased volumes. Taylor quickly rolled off of him before she got too comfortable and they were both just laying in the snow. "Tay…I know you called to tell me something other than throwing a snowball in my face."_

_Taylor sighed, was she that obvious. "I just know things Tay. It's a talent." He chuckled as she felt like she had no other choice, but to go along with it. _

"_Well…okay." Her voice was meek. "Here I go." She announced as she turned on her side and looked at Chad who was staring up at the dark sky with snow coming from it._

"…_I'm waiting." He chanted._

_Neither one of them heard the footsteps packed into the snow, approaching them as quiet as possible. Taylor opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off as someone leaned down from behind her and the last thing Taylor saw before her eyes shut voluntarily was Chad's surprised and hurt filled eyes._

_She kissed back softly before pulling away almost too quickly and saw Zeke standing behind her. "Hey baby. You're all wet." He pointed out as if Taylor didn't know._

_She nodded her head before she looked at Chad to see his reaction and she knew he thought she didn't see his little glare towards Zeke, but she caught it just before his face went blank into what she presumed shock looked like on his face. _

"_Hey Chad." Zeke sat down next to Taylor as his cold hand took her warm one in his and their fingers laced. "Did she tell you the good news?"_

_Chad opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it as he calmed himself down and mended his heart and mind. "Um…not yet."_

"_Well…" Zeke looked at her, anticipating her and what she was going to say._

_Taylor cleared her throat nervously. "We're dating." _

_Zeke was smiling like a mad man as his nose affectionately nuzzled into the back of her neck and she bit her lip, facing away from him and looking right at Chad as he forced a smile on his tight face. "…that's great guys. I um…" He cleared his throat. He hadn't hated a person this much since Cindy in second grade spilt chocolate milk on his head. "I told Jase and Gabi that I'd meet up with them right…" He looked down at his covered wrist and back up. "Now. So I'll see you later." _

_He stood up as Zeke seemed to be missing the point that Chad was effected by this and squeezed Taylor's hand a little bit in excitement. "You ready for dinner?" Zeke asked as Taylor tore her eyes away from Chad's exiting back._

"_Uh…yeah. My room?" She questioned._

"_Anything for you."_

* * *

"God…it seems like forever since we've played basketball together." Jason exclaims through taking sips of his water bottle while he is standing near Zeke, Chad, and Troy.

Each guy has their shirts off as every first day of high school they would start the day off with a basketball game between just the four of them.

Zeke wipes the sweat that is forming on his forehead on his gray t-shirt that he is holding in his hands while breathing heavily. He hasn't played basketball all summer as he was busy with Taylor and some cooking classes while also working at one restaurant in New York for Jason's dad. He got to be the assistant to one of the chefs there.

"Of course Bolton hasn't lost it." Chad comments with an eye roll and a teasing smile.

Troy shrugs with a lazy smile on his face. "What can I say? Some people are good." He jokes cockily and the three other guys grumble.

"So what are you guys doing tonight? I was thinking maybe pizza and guys night in?" Troy asks as Zeke nods his head. It sounds nice.

"I'm in." He answers as Jason shakes his head.

"What's up with you?" Chad asks as Jason shrugs.

"I promised Gabi that we could do dinner by ourselves. We have to catch up and stuff since we hardly saw each other over the summer."

Zeke rolls his eyes with a smirk as no one notices Troy tense up a little at what Jason's explanation could mean. "More like get some?"

Jason rolls his eyes this time as he throws on his shirt over his semi tan skin. He flicks his hair out of his eyes as it's matted down some. "Believe what you want but we broke up last January."

Chad snickers. "I bet." You can hear the sarcasm from fifty miles away.

Jason opens his bottle of water as no one notices that Troy has shut up and was finding some way to change the topic. Jason pours the water on his head to make his hair really mat down to his forehead and he runs his hand through his hair to make it slick back some. "Gabi and I are just friends and she's just going through a rough time."

"Well you called enough over the summer. Not to mention when you couldn't get a hold of her then you called me and disturbed my sleeping time." Chad states with feign bitterness as everyone in their little group of friends knows that Chad was with Gabriella everyday over the summer since he was the closest one and her mom eventually had to go back to work and Gabriella didn't want to be by herself just yet. Which, no one can blame her for.

"You were the only one with her that I could trust to tell me the truth." Jason defends.

"Yeah but you went the extra length to get in contact with someone as I had to convince Tay to drop the phone." Zeke spoke up.

"Well what about you two, my room?" Troy asks.

Chad clears his throat, "_Our _room." He corrects when Troy rolls his eyes.

"Yeah whatever. Our room." Troy repeats.

"I'm in. I'll call Ryan too." The guys all gather their things as Jason has already headed off to go get ready for dinner with Gabriella.

It was just Zeke, Chad, and Troy again as Troy is feeling the unknown tension coming from Zeke and Chad. Zeke had stopped trying to talk one on one with Chad for a while now as it seems to Troy that the two really only speak together when they're playing basketball and baseball together or they're in a group and around Taylor.

They all start heading back to the room as Troy feels the need to start some conversation between them while he's walking in the middle of them and a group of junior girls walk by and Chad's the only one who flashes them a smile as they all smile back and some have light blushes on their faces.

"So…there has to be something going on soon? If there isn't then this school year is gonna go by too slow." Troy speaks.

"Class start tomorrow for the freshman." Chad's voice is deadpan and he scoffs at the ground. "Two more days for us."

"Pep assembly in a week along with sport try outs in a week or two." Zeke adds. "I feel like I'm forgetting something though."

"I know what you mean. And when I did feel like that it turned out to be mine and Sharpay's two year anniversary. You're not missing any anniversary, are you Zeke?" Troy asks lightly; not expecting Zeke to stop abruptly while Chad lets out an annoying sigh which is unnoticed by Zeke.

"I think I did." He says slowly.

"It's the big eight tomorrow." Chad says in a monotone voice and Zeke and Troy both look at him strangely.

"What?" Zeke asks as if not comprehending.

"The BIG eight!" Chad exclaims with fake enthusiasm. "With Tay…your girlfriend?" Chad continues as Zeke and Troy still look confused. Chad sighs dramatically. "Your anniversary."

"So? It's only eight." Zeke finally points out and they all continue walking again and Troy can't even remember why they stopped in the first place.

"The BIG eight!" Chad still continues with enthusiasm that Troy finds too suspicious, but Zeke doesn't make such a big deal out of it. "Tay loves the number eight…don't tell me you forgot." Chad demands with fake disappointment in his voice and Troy rolls his eyes the other way so Zeke didn't see. Chad was so making this up and it was almost funny that Zeke was buying it, but Troy decided the first time he heard about Zeke and Taylor going out that he was never going to get in the middle of Chad/Zeke/Taylor triangle. It was just a big mess waiting to happen after all this time.

"Shit." Zeke curses. "I have to get her a gift now and it's tomorrow. Are you sure about her liking the number eight? I swear her favorite number was eleven."

Chad shrugs. "It's your call. You can either hang out with us tonight and risk ruining your relationship with Tay tomorrow or you can somehow find a gift to give her tonight."

Zeke blows out air. "I think I already got her something."

They reach the steps to go up to their building which they shared with the juniors and sit on the ledge and stairs. "How do you not know?" Troy asks.

"Well…girls like romantic, right?" Zeke asks.

Chad narrows his eyes a little as he stands behind Zeke and rolls his eyes, clicking his tongue in the process while pretending not to care. "Yeah…" Troy says slowly.

"And Tay and I have been going out for eight months."

"What the hell did you get her?" Chad asks impatiently.

"I love her." Zeke states simply and Troy swears he nearly sees Chad double over in shock as he leans against the wall to steady himself.

Troy smiles as he reaches forward and Zeke and him share a high five of congratulations. "That's great man. Tay will love that tomorrow."

"I hope, but…do you think it's too soon?"

Troy bites his bottom lip. Sharpay had said the 'L' word a while ago as he still hasn't said it back to her yet. He always replies 'you too' or something like that where he mumbles anything before walking away or hanging up.

"You actually love her?" Chad chokes out as Zeke starts walking up the stairs with a proud smile on his face for actually admitting feelings he thought he has been feeling for a couple of months now.

"Yeah…I do."

* * *

**Author's Note--Review Please and I'll try to get the next chapter up by Thursday. Thanks for all the support I've been getting and if you just give my story time to progress a little bit more, and I get the characters laid out more, then the story will become really good. Thanks.**


	4. Open My Eyes

_Confusion is all over me  
And I am blind, I can't see  
I'm letting go, I'm letting go.  
Would you take control of me_  
Open My Eyes--Inhabited

* * *

It came naturally for some people, and others not so much. Some people were born with this talent as others were just granted the ability to stand in front of someone and tell them their opinion honestly only once in a while. It made her feel powerful, like she is the best one in the room at the time, and words just flow out of her mouth. She doesn't have to think about them, she doesn't have to double think the meaning her words might have on someone's feelings, she only cares about herself and on a deeper level, Troy Bolton.

She speaks with such flow that it is like she spends extra time reading a script called, _Life _and acting it out through everyday things. But everyone knows that there was no specific script to run your life, but that's just what Sharpay is used to. She has a routine and it consisted of going to school, starring in all the school plays and musicals, shopping, and spending time with her boyfriend Troy.

She knows exactly where she wants to end up, and she is willing to do anything to get it, whether that meant stringing people along with her, or dumping them in the process, she didn't care. But she would do it in a heartbeat if that meant getting one step closer to her goal in becoming an actress and star. Even if that meant never biting her tongue and speaking the honest truth.

That was something she has possessed since she could talk. She wouldn't spin the truth for someone, unless it benefited her in some way or another. If some girl asks her if the shirt she was wearing made her look fat, then Sharpay will tell her the honest truth, even if it was yes. If she saw some guy cheating on his girlfriend, then she will be the first to spread it around campus and get the joy of knowing the scumbag's so-called girlfriend will soon find out that her boyfriend is no good.

She never bites her tongue for anything or anyone, why would this day be so different?

One reason: Troy Bolton.

"I really don't know what possessed you to forget that we were supposed to have dinner tonight." Sharpay states as she was on her new floor where her and Gabriella's room got moved too for some unknown reason she had no idea about.

Gabriella and her used to be on the third floor, the very top floor of the building the previous year, but now earlier in the day when Sharpay hired younger classmen to move her things up the long flight of stairs, the two sophomore boys came back to her in the drama room and complained that two junior girls had already put their stuff in that room and Sharpay's key no longer worked for that door.

If Sharpay wasn't in a drama meeting, halfway done with the ten minute break Ms. Darbus gave them for a snack or drink, then she would've marched out of the building and gone across the campus to her dorm advisors room which just so happened to be next to her 'old' room and demand to know what was going on.

She liked her 'old' room. She loved the pink which was on two of the walls, and although she wouldn't admit this to anyone, she loved the midnight blue Gabriella painted on her two walls. She liked to look out the window when she was feeling stressed and preferred not to talk to anyone and just gaze out on all the kids who walked by. She liked the closet space she received as everyone knew that their dorm was the only building that had double the closet space compared to everyone else.

But since she was already in the building with her dorm advisor, being held up in a meeting by this so called advisor, Sharpay didn't have to march. She walked swiftly across the room with a determined face on because there was no way that she would just get booted from her room by some junior girls and be lowered down to the first floor, close to the lobby where everyone came in from and you could practically see the TV from their door.

After a long five minutes of trying to get her old room back from Ms. Darbus, Sharpay found herself crossing her arms across her chest with a scowl on her face as she sharply sat in her seat next to her group of friends and Ryan. She didn't even get a reasonable answer out of Ms. Darbus as to why she moved her down two floor levels.

She tried to convince herself that there were positives to this situation. If she had to go to the bathroom, all she had to do was go down the hallway as oppose to the previous year and travel an extra hallway. If she wanted to watch TV she wouldn't have to even leave the room as she could hear it from her bedroom with the door shut. If she needed a drink the vendee machine was right next to her dorm room door and all she had to do was reach her arm out. And if there ever was a fire, she would be one of the first people out instead of having to run down flights of stairs in high heels and breaking an ankle.

But those positive thoughts all left her mind as Ms. Darbus started the drama meeting again and all Sharpay could think about was Ms. Darbus had no idea what she was doing moving her down two stories.

Troy lays a hand on Sharpay's arm and she kinks an eye brow as she looks at him with a curious glance. This usually meant that he wanted something. "Shar…" He says softly. "We need to talk."

She purses her lips thinly, thinking about what was going through his head. But does she really care? He obviously doesn't care about her if he forgot that they had made dinner plans, but instead went out with Chad and Ryan for pizza, and then picked her up telling her that he accidentally forgot.

"Now you want to talk?" She asks sarcastically and he winces a little.

"I deserve that." He admits, letting her get by using that tone with him.

She narrows her eyes on him a little bit more to make this situation any less lighter. "You deserve more than that Troy. You forgot about dinner plans and you went out with the guys! The guys instead of your _GIRLFRIEND_ for three years!" She exclaims dramatically.

Girls in the lobby stand up and walk to the corner and peck their heads around to see what the commotion is. Sharpay sends them death glares as Troy scratches the back of his neck nervously.

"Shar…just calm down. I haven't seen the guys all summer and they just wanted to catch up." He soothes as Sharpay shakes off the hand that he laid on her arm.

"You saw them this morning. You played basketball with them during lunch. You played play station or whatever the hell you play with them this evening. What more can you do with them?" Sharpay asks as Troy sighs, slowly losing patience.

"I'll make it up to you, just…we have to talk." He states again like he did a couple of minutes before.

Sharpay lets out a huff of air. "Fine. What is it that you insist that we talk about?"

"Bri--" He clears his throat as her eyes go wide. Did she just hear him almost use a nickname for her roommate and enemy? "Gabriella." He corrects himself, but not fast enough. "We need to talk about Gabriella baby." He coos.

"What about her, _baby?_" She asks tightly, through narrow lips and hardening of the eyes that were slowly draining of color and going to the gray she has become used to seeing almost everyday now.

"It's just…now don't take this the wrong way, but…" He bites his bottom lips as she looks into his dark blue eyes that memorize her still to this day. They seem to pop out through his tan skin that never lost color amazingly as she knows very well that she would burn in the sun with her light colored skin compared to Gabriella's who's skin is just that natural olive gleaming skin that almost every girl at school wants naturally. "Last year she went through a _very, very_ hard time and…I know you won't do this purposely, but just don't say anything." He slightly begs as his two hands grip her upper arms as if she was fidgeting in her spot and bends his knees so he is at head level with her.

Sharpay never bites her tongue. "As if." She scoffs. "She was practically begging for this to happen last year and now the WHOLE school feels sorry for her. Why should it matter if she has one more person feeling sorry for her?" Sharpay narrows her eyes, tempting Troy to answer her hard question that came out in an unknown snotty voice that she uses.

"Shar…Please. She was not begging for it to happen. She was scared and confused, and…please, just don't. Do it for me." Troy begs softly and Sharpay knows it's a mistake in looking into his eyes, but she can't stop herself as she keeps her knees from buckling under the intensity he holds over her. "I'll do anything for you." He smirks as he nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck, trying to find her sweet spot that he hasn't touched in months.

"What's it to you anyways?" She asks as her nails dig into the back of his shirt while he sucks harshly at her neck.

"Because…" He grunts into her neck while backing her up, his hand searching for the doorknob. "She's going through a rough time. And she's our friend."

Sharpay clears her throat since that was the only thing she can coherently produce through her mouth with the sensations of Troy's hand smoothing out her sides, his mouth attached to her skin, and his pelvis pressing into hers. But her mind still works as she never remembers ever calling Gabriella her friend since the first week of freshman year.

"My friend." Troy corrects and she clears her throat again. She hates the fact that the two hang out sometimes around people, she was just oblivious to the fact that Troy would specifically seek Gabriella out over everyone. She is good at acting, but was never too good at watching others perform. She didn't see Troy roll his eyes at her clearing of the throat, but instead gets pushed into her room by Troy and they fall onto the closest bed, not even wondering if that is her bed or not.

Sharpay leads Troy's mouth from her neck to her own lips and they connect. The spark that was there ignites like dynamite for her, she being too busy to notice the shocked brunette standing by their new closest staring at the them with wide eyes.

"Maybe we should have a sock system if you two are gonna be barging in here all the time sucking faces." The girl's voice echoes in the room as Sharpay feels Troy tense up a bit and disconnects their mouths as he slowly gets up and off of her.

Sharpay feels cold while she sits up and stares at Gabriella through narrow eyes. Did this girl have to ruin the moment?

Sharpay looks her over as this has been the closest the two have been since spring break last year and nothing has changed. Gabriella is still an inch shorter than her, brunette curls, a little nose which Sharpay secretly likes, tan golden skin that various guys talk about.

"Maybe." Sharpay says stiffly as Troy sits awkwardly on the end of the bed. Sharpay looks around their new room and sees that they have a window with a wooden seat connected to the windowsill so you could sit on it and look outside. The closet door is open and it looks bigger than what they had before while the walls were a boring white. Gabriella's bed is already made with sheets on it. Sharpay kinks an eyebrow as she looks from the bed to Gabriella who is wearing a black dress that fit her body perfectly and showed off just how small she was. "So I guess you get the window bed?"

Gabriella forces a smile on her face. "Unless you want the bed closest to the window, I'm sure we can change things up." There was silence in the room as Sharpay and Gabriella stare intently at each other. Neither one wanting to look away as if it would show weakness.

Troy clears his throat, but neither girl reacts. "So…you're leaving with Jason soon, Bri--Gabriella?" He corrects quickly as he diverts his eyes back to the plain mattress that will soon be Sharpay's. It was obvious to anyone that Troy hates this fight between them and the tension.

Sharpay smirks, "Already fucking him, I thought you two broke up." She states more than questions.

Gabriella mimics her smirk, just asking for Sharpay to retaliate. "At least we won't be interrupted."

Sharpay stands up quickly, but Troy lays a hand on her wrist to try to calm her down. Her light brown eyes that keep getting lighter look down at Troy's eyes who's eye brows are raised; as if reminding her what they just talked about.

Sharpay lets out a ragged breath as she looks away from Troy and at Gabriella who has a blank look on her face. Although Sharpay didn't promise Troy out loud that she wouldn't say anything to Gabriella about the previous year, she knows deep down that it would be a very bitchy move to make; even towards your enemy. And that's saying a lot coming from Sharpay.

She forces a small tight smile on her face as Gabriella rolls her eyes. Sharpay's fists clench together as she rips her arm out of Troy's reach and he stands up. She can't take the small smirk that formed it's way on Gabriella's face. She can't take the fact that Gabriella knows someone must have said something to her to keep her from retorting for some reason.

"Shar…let's just go." Troy whispers so only she can hear. She feels a tug on her arm, but she doesn't budge. Most people say that it's her fault for the reason why Gabriella and her don't get along, but in Sharpay's mind she did Gabriella a favor. "Shar…let's go." Troy says a little more forcefully.

For once in a long time, Sharpay bites her tongue.

* * *

It was strange. Gabriella had never minded before if she was video taped. He carries his little camera around everywhere he went in his pocket or duffel bag, and had video taped Gabriella numerous times before during their junior year, but not once had she freaked out like she did earlier in the day.

It wasn't as much as freaking out, but she got weird and tense and then she barely even spoke as she seemed to be in a trance or train of thought. She became distant and when it was time for him to play basketball with the guys he didn't want to leave seeing as Gabriella just seemed out of it, but maybe something or someone just caught her eyes and she didn't know how to react?

He ran his hand through his hair and flicks his head to the side to get the hair out of his eyes in a perfect manner only some guys could pull off. He looks down at his watch as he was leaning on the outside wall of Gabriella's dorm building and saw that he still has five minutes to get in there to pick her up.

He sighs as he pushes off the wall with his one foot that was propped up against it and starts to head in deciding it is probably better if he gets there sooner than later, especially if Sharpay was in the room right now. He momentarily straightens out the black dress shirt that had sleeves rolled up a quarter of the way along with dark blue loose jeans as he passes a group of girls in the lobby who all turn their heads at him entering and he recognizes only some of them.

"Lookin' good Cross!" A girl yells out to him and he nods at her as he took in her naturally blonde hair with baby blue eyes. He recognizes her as a girl who hangs out with Sharpay and does drama with her every once in a while. He had dated one of her friends and she is also a senior with them.

"Right back at you Em!" He cheers as he didn't walk far and came face to face with Gabriella's door along with the Devil's door. He digs through his jean's pocket again and pulls out his video camera as he quickly hits buttons and turns it on.

He runs a hand through his hair as he knocks. It doesn't take long for someone to answer as the door whips open and a very pissed off looking Sharpay is standing in the doorway with her foot tapping impatiently, her right hand resting on her clad covered waist of a pink halter top, and Jason swears her eyes got lighter yet as just him standing in the doorway seems to be pissing her off even more.

"Montez, your fuck buddies here with his camera." Sharpay glares into the camera as he swears he see her eyes go lighter to a gray color. Jason puts on a small smile as he focuses his camera past Sharpay's shoulder and on Gabriella as she looks annoyed, but then eyes up the camera quickly, trying to hide her fright(?) before he saw.

He sees Troy looking immensely awkward as he is standing off to the side of the unfurnished room and Sharpay steps back some to let him in. He was using his knowledge from the past that Sharpay and Gabriella probably just got done with one of their fights or something like that.

He walks in further as the small smile on his face drops slowly with each step he took to get closer to Gabriella's side of the room as he swears he sees her shake a little.

"Hey." He greets quietly and lowers his camera to see her face all the way instead of having an electrical device in between them.

The two stare at each other, each taking in the other one knowing that they made the right decision last January and being friends. They don't hear Sharpay in the background grumbling something as this was the only way that she could bite her tongue about Gabriella's current situation: comment on something else to distract her mind.

"So Troy and I aren't allowed one night together, but you two can make a porn video?!" They don't see Troy roll his eyes from behind Sharay as he silently narrows his eyes on the two, wondering how they could go from boyfriend and girlfriend of six and a half months to practically joined-at-the-hip-friends.

"Hey." Gabriella's voice is soft as Jason forgets about his running video camera and sets it down on her bed before pulling her into a hug.

He now confirms that she was indeed shaking as he pulls back, but keeps his hands on her upper arms and follows her line of view towards his video camera.

"Gabi, you're shaking." He states with concern as he makes a quick decision and lets go of Gabriella to put away his video camera. Neither one of them noticing the kinked eye brow on Sharpay's face or the curious glance Troy has plastered on his face.

"Am I?" She asks quietly and Jason sees that her eyes are glossed over while she still doesn't look fully with him anymore compared to when he first walked into her room.

"Are you sick?" Troy's voice picks up so that the two notice him and Sharpay swivels around to glare at him as if fraternizing with the enemy is the worst thing he could do. If looks could kill Troy should start digging his grave as Sharpay has her hand on her hip still and pops it out to the side dramatically to make her point that she was cross with him. "…sorry." He mumbles.

Gabriella scrunches her brows together as she knows no one is watching her since Sharpay has her eyes on Troy along with Jason as Troy is looking down at the ground and away from their gazes. She knows Troy's normally not like this, he never lets anyone step all over him and that is what Gabriella admires about him, but when it comes to Sharpay, somehow that girl could scare and intimidate anyone.

"…I'm fine." Gabriella speaks up as Jason turns again and looks at her.

"Then let's go before we're late because if I remember a certain girl likes Italian." Jason exclaimes with slight enthusiasm as he rests his right hand on her lower back, guiding her out of the room.

Troy and Jason share a nod as Troy watches Jason's hand for a moment too long and it isn't until Gabriella spoke up in her soft and unsure voice that he is taken out of his hard trance. "Bye Troy…Sharpay."

Once they walk outside Jason immediately steers Gabriella off of the sidewalk and over to the water fountain which is right in the middle of the quad. He turns so he's in front of her and their eyes connect. "Want to tell me what's really on your mind?" He asks.

Gabriella sighs as her shoulders go up in a small shrug, "I'm hungry." She replies weakly.

He looks at her through narrow eyes, "Try again."

Gabriella sighs once more. "I need to ask you something; something that's been on my mind ever since I talked to the police over spring break." Gabriella looks up at him with glossy eyes as he nods his head lamely, not knowing what to say.

He makes his mind focus on what was happening now rather than letting his mind travel to the past and the events that occurred. He has to be strong for her, she trusts him, she respects him, but most of all, he promised her that he would always be there for her when she needed him.

"I want to see your footage of whatever you have of me in your video collection from last year." Gabriella demands as she blinks back tears.

Jason knows this is a bad idea. He deliberately didn't bring any of the film with him to school this year. Plus, it also helps that he knows what she's getting at and why she wants to put herself through watching hours of him messing around with his camera, video taping everything in sight.

"Gabi, I did what you asked me over the summer. I double checked the footage, tripled checked the footage for good measure, and I think it's a very bad idea for you to quadruple check it."

She shakes her head stubbornly. "Please Jase. I need to know how he got the pictures. I need answers."

He shuts his eyes briefly, clearing his mind of the picture before him; Gabriella with her brown orbs, pleading to him.

He rips his eyes open and sees that nothing changed. "This is a bad idea." He informs her.

"Please. Somehow he had pictures of me ranging from sitting out here at this exact fountain to playing soccer over the school year and I didn't even notice." Gabriella snaps. "You always had your camera with you, you had to have gotten some footage of him hanging around, even just a shadow. Please Jason. I need to see it for myself." She begs as a tear trickles down her face which is unusual for her since she is one of the toughest girls he knows.

He steps forward as he engulfs her in his arms and lightly brushes away her stray tear as she hiccups in his chest. He didn't know if he was going to regret his decision later, but he promised her that he would be there for her. This situation is no different.

"I'll get my dad to send me the footage, but…I'm watching them with you. That's my only request." He states as she pulls back and stares up at him.

"…Thank-you."

He nods his head in understanding as they both pull back and Gabriella chuckles a little. "What's so funny?" He asks.

They start walking down the street on the sidewalk and towards the restaurant that most students went to since it was just down a couple of blocks from their school.

"Nothing just…you're always helping me."

He gives her a sideways smile as he takes a deep breath, becoming totally serious. "I made a promise to you, and I always keep my word."

"And I don't thank you enough for it." She says in a small voice.

"You're my best friend. There's no way that I'd make you thank me for things that are counted as my job." Jason states with sincerity. "But I do have something to say."

They cross the street as the restaurant comes into sight.

"Anything." She says as they seem to slow down a bit as if wanting to take their time from getting to the busy food place.

"Well…you were shaking Gabi. That's not normal for someone to do unless they're cold or are going through some weird transformation, and I'm guessing since it's like ninety degrees and you're still normal skin color and hair, it's neither one of them. What's up?"

"I don't know." She admits softly. "Just seeing the camera reminded me of last year, and…I can't do it again Jason. I refuse to go through that again."

He clasps his hand in hers. "And I promise you that I'm not going to let you go through that. And I keep my word."

Gabriella lets a smile come onto her face. "I trust you."

* * *

**Author's note--So I know that a lot of you are probably getting frustrated already that Troy and Gabriella haven't had a moment to themselves yet, or Gabriella and Jason are so close, or Sharpay and Troy are dating, or maybe it's all three, but...I'm just building the foundation. I have to set everything into place first and I promise you that it's all gonna be worth the wait and I'll also explain Jason and Gabriella's past sooner or later in a couple of upcoming chapters. **

**So tell me what you think in a review and thank you for all the support I've been getting. It really helps me start writing the next chapter when I get feedback for my story. **


	5. Hotel Roosevelt

_shut up, I'm wrong, I know...but we can't talk about it,  
all the wars we won, but we're still walking home,  
don't give me your reasons, for all my bad intentions,  
New York...LA…hey man, you know its all the same..._  
Hotel Roosevelt--Augustana

* * *

_She sat near the grand piano; waiting for inspiration to course through her veins because that's just how she worked. Her hand carefully placed itself in position as she situated her body more on the seat so she could be comfortable, but yet still have proper position._

__

She blinked her eyes tiredly as it had been two weeks into the school year so far of her junior year and a lot of things have happened so far. Jason and Gabriella both came back from New York since that was Gabriella's father's hometown and it was his turn to have Gabriella and her two younger siblings for the summer and Jason's dad owned a chain of restaurants and he just happened to be opening one in New York so that required him to move out there for a couple of months, and Jason had no problem moving along with him and his mother.

_Then there was the Sharpay and Troy drama shit where it turned out Troy and Sharpay had another fight over the one week he flew out to visit her and it somehow ended with her sleeping with some guy and Troy sleeping with another girl, but yet they're still together. Kelsi rolled her eyes just thinking about it._

_Chad had been 'stuck' in LA as Taylor was at some science camp even though she probably didn't' need to go since she was the top of their class and was voted to represent their class by being a prefect who was granted their own bathroom, a singles room, passes to all the classrooms, but was required to attend all official meetings with all other prefects for each grade._

_She blew out air as she took her small hands off the ivory keys and rubbed her temples. She was already loaded with school work as she had technically only attended nine days of school, not counting the weekends. The only way that she was managing all the classes she took on was because she was in study groups almost every night with her friends to help her get through it. She was lucky she wasn't the only one feeling like the school was trying to kill them, she could always go to Chad to complain about that. He always agreed with anyone who brought up school sucked._

_"Looks like someone's working hard!" A gleeful voice spoke up as Kelsi turned her head with a small smile playing at her tired face. He walked down the long aisle to the stairs off to the side of the stage and climbed up the three steps._

_His short thick blonde hair that just got cut reminded her of Chad Michael Murray's hair in season one of One Tree Hill, except Ryan has lighter hair color than Chad. He was wearing dark blue jeans that hung loosely on him along with just a sweatshirt, which was completely different than how he usually dresses in khaki pants and polos._

_"Hey Ry." Kelsi greeted back with a smile as she pulled down on the cover of the piano to cover the keys. "What are you doing?" She asked as he walked over to her in the center of the stage._

_"Standing on the stage." He replied back with an innocent smile that held just a little bit of cockiness in it._

_Kelsi rolled her eyes as he came up to the piano and leaned on the hard wood that covered the strings which were connected to the keys that her fingers usually glide across. "I know that Einstein, but what are you doing _here_?" Kelsi emphasized. _

_"Oh." He drew out the word as if realization hit him and she couldn't help but giggle at his obvious ways of trying to get her to smile, but she wasn't complaining as she had a hint of why he was there instead of in the library where they both should be to get ready for their AP History test already coming up in a week. "If you would have specified your first question then I would've answered right away that I need to ask you something."_

_Kelsi bit her bottom lip in anticipation as he all of a sudden changed his whole demeanor and she didn't know if it was on purpose or not, but he went from confident to nervous in a matter of seconds. "Go on." She prompted as she felt nervous, but yet anxious at the same time. _

_Gabriella had told her that Ryan was looking for her earlier in the day to ask her something important, but Kelsi being the shy person she was hid out in the auditorium just incase that 'something important' was bad, but since Ryan found her she couldn't ditch him now or else he would know that she was avoiding him out of her fright of something going wrong._

_"Well these past two weeks have been hectic." Ryan started as Kelsi silently agreed with him. "And even though it has been keeping us busy we still managed to hang out and this is just…" He trailed off as Kelsi looked at him even more, wondering what he was trying to get at because if he was asking her to be his girlfriend, why was he so nervous? Almost everyone knew at school that she would say yes in a heartbeat, but then again, she wasn't exactly making it easy for him since she had been avoiding him that day._

_"What is it Ry?" She asked softly._

_He scratched the back of his neck. "It's just…I can't get that kiss out of my head." He blurted out and Kelsi's face showed shock. She definitely wasn't expecting him to bring up the one and only kiss the two shared on the last day of school sophomore year together as it had been at the end of the school year party the guys held in their dorms. Everyone was so happy last year at that party and Kelsi was just filled with so much amusement and enthusiasm that when she saw Ryan she nearly jumped on him and connected their lips. _

_"It was a…uh great kiss?" She more like asked in an awkward tone._

_Ryan nodded his head quickly. "Yeah." He exclaimed. "It was definitely a great kiss and…well…we've been hanging out a lot lately." He looked up and their eyes connected as he flashed her a small nervous smile before he continued. "And we've worked well together in the past when we're in class and others agree."_

_Kelsi scrunched up her face into confusion. "Ry." She cut in. "What's this about?"_

_"Well…I've wanted to ask you this since the end of sophomore year." The blond haired boy explained._

_Kelsi looked at him with anticipating eyes as she thanked God that there were no interruptions. The two of them almost always got interrupted whenever they were having a moment. "Well now you can. No more interruptions." The shy brunette stated with a sweet smile._

_Ryan took a deep breath as he smiled his white smile. He walked over to her as she stood up. "How about instead of studying boring history tomorrow night you let me take you out to dinner around six."_

_Kelsi kept the smile on her face as she thought he was going to ask her something else, but nonetheless she too had been thinking about the kiss over the summer.  
"I think I can fit you in." Kelsi joked._

_Ryan rolled his eyes as he grinned widely at her. "And then I thought we could well…" he trailed off as a puzzled look came over his face. "Uh…maybe…since we seem to get along…"_

_"Ryan. Just ask me already." She cut in._

_"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked in a quick breath. _

_Kelsi held in her squeal as she smiled brightly at Ryan and all she could do was nod. He engulfed her in his arms as he squeezed her tight. Neither one knowing how in ten months everything would change._

The room felt thirty degrees hotter as it was already incredulously hot outside and having the windows open with the fan running by it was just sucking in the hot air from the outside and pulling it into the room where they held drama class when the auditorium was being redone.

That's what it would've felt if he wasn't in the auditorium which was even hotter than most classrooms because left and right you had construction workers ripping up the seats that were cemented into the floor and getting ready to replace the seats with new ones.

Classes didn't start for another day as the previous day was when everyone finished registering and received their class schedule and technically it was just the freshmen that had to go to classes today to just get the feel of things and how they worked, but Ryan must have went brain dead somewhere along the lines of his life as when Ms. Darbus asked him to come into her classroom to help out and to look over the musical they were planning on doing for the fall so he could get some ideas for choreography he said '_I have nothing else to do._', when in fact he did have something to do.

He spent the very first day back at Davidson Academy in his room that he shares with Jason thinking about a certain light brown haired girl with the peach skin that brings out her sparkling bluish-green eyes that when the light was on her it made them look like a creamy light green.

He groaned as he tried to block out the piano that was playing besides him, only twenty feet away as that was the farthest he could get away from her without actually being off the stage and into the rows of chairs that were being taken out of the auditorium and being replaced with new red ones with extra cushions.

He looks over his shoulder and catches a glimpse of her cute button nose and what should've been a wide angelic smile that he was so use to seeing, but instead saw a very concentrated straight face. But he shouldn't be thinking about her used-to-be angelic smile, right? They broke up, technically he broke up with her so he shouldn't be thinking like that. But he didn't really want to break up with her, he just felt like he had to; usually people break up if they were put into their previous positions.

He looks a head of him, pretending to be interested in the music that is being played as he blocks out the high define cheek bones that lead down to her neck that hold her birth mark on the back under her shoulder length wavy hair that she straightens. Nobody else knew about that birth mark unless she shows them because usually her shirt covers it, and if her shirt was lower on the back for some reason, she would always wear her hair down.

"So that's it." Her hesitant voice brings him out of his trance as he keeps his eyes on the ground for a second longer, thinking maybe he wasn't alone with her right now. "What do you…uh think?" She asks in a tone that tells him that she's second guessing herself about whether she should keep talking or not and what scares him the most is that he didn't know the answer to that either.

He sighs as he turns from dangling his feet over the edge of the stage and looks at her over his shoulder. "It sounds like…uh…" He can't lie to her. After all the thinking he did over the past two months; he was pretty sure that he wants her back, but can he put himself through that again. After all their relationship was perfect up until the summer started and she went away. They grew apart and then the one time she does come to see him halfway through July, she drops a bomb on him and he didn't know how to handle it. But one thing was for sure; trust has to be built up again on both sides.

"It sounds like you worked very hard on it over the summer." Ryan admits.

Kelsi avoids his gaze for a second as she distracts herself by looking down at the white keys her finger tips were so lightly grazing as it looks like she is deciphering something between herself.

She finally looks up and forces a smile onto her face even though she's not fooling him. "I um…I had some free time at Julliard." Kelsi says carefully as she knows that was one of the reasons why they broke up; she didn't have time to spend with him; so how could she have free time at Julliard? She didn't know.

He nods his head dumbly while he stands up almost awkwardly and hesitantly walks over to her. "Well it shows." He states as Kelsi's perfectly formed eye brow kinks up in a questioning way. "You know, in the work. It shows that you worked very hard on it." He explains.

Kelsi gives him a small breakable smile as the air between them is slowly becoming less suffocating and he doesn't know if that's a good thing or not. Was he ready to be in a relationship with her? Sure, he wants too, but was now the right time? Did she even want to get back together with him?

"…thank-you."

There was a silence

He decides it's time to take a chance. People always spoke of taking chances before it is too late, and now just seems like the perfect time. "You know…there's this new coffee place that just opened a month ago down the street and it might be something worth checking out."

Kelsi's small smile just got smaller as her whole demeanor changes. Her usual welcoming eyes turned a deeper color that was neither complimenting nor insulting. Her pale skin hardened like a marble statue as her back went stick straight as if the perfect position she was in before for playing the piano wasn't good enough.

He takes that as a bad sign. A very bad sign.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Her voice is soft compared to her facial expression. The tone contradicts her perfect statue format as her dubious eyes gloss over.

"Why not?" His voice is harsher than what he wants, but he can't help it. Isn't she the one who pleaded with him over the summer to forgive her, and now here he is, giving her a perfect opportunity to redeem herself.

Kelsi stands up as her eyes never leave him.

She must have saw the confused look he is sending her as after a moment, her soft eyes come back alive and she slowly walks around the giant piano and stands near him.

She looks down between his hand that is laying lifelessly on top of the piano and then back up at his face. His eyes glance down to see her hand shake slightly before gently grabbing his and he feels the temperature rise a little in the room.

"It's not that I don't want too," He looks up at her bluish green eyes that seem to be sparkling even more than what he pictured over the summer, but then again that could just be his imaginative side getting the better of him, "it's just…" She sighs while looking at the corner of his eyes instead of his pupils that are trying to catch her full gaze, "don't you hate me?" Her voice was rushed as for a second her eyes widen in surprise and a small blush erupts onto her cheeks, but she quickly tries to compose herself.

He imagines pulling his hand away from under hers in one swift movement. It would surely put a hurt look on her face or maybe her perfect little eyes would gloss over. He would have a smirk overtake his face in victory of getting satisfaction out of the fact she would indeed be hurt by him. She would only feel a sliver of pain compared to what he felt over the summer, but it would be a start.

Instead…he laces their fingers together and holds her hand tighter as if he is imprinting in her mind the idea that he isn't going to let go. He shuts his eyes briefly and takes a slow breath. He can work past the hurt he feels if she will just give in and spend time with him. He won't feel the hurt in his chest each time he looks at her if she will just agree with him for once; just like how they used to be. The couple everyone thought was going to make it.

"Kels." He breaths out slowly and opens his light brown eyes. "I could never hate you. I _will_ never hate you. You know that."

Her arm tugs back a little and he grips her hand again; making the point that he isn't going to be persuaded that easily.

A small sigh erupts from the back of her throat and she looks around helplessly while they can both hear the workers behind them, tearing out the chairs that are being replaced over the next few days.

"Maybe it'd be easier if you did." She murmurs.

He shakes his head and intakes air as their eyes connect. "It's just coffee. We can ditch this since Darbus is probably busy with the freshmen and it's obvious you have your parts nailed. It wouldn't kill for a break."

"I don't deserve this." She whispers as his brows go up in question.

"I don't understand. Explain, please."

She lets out a frustrated sigh while her hand rips free of his. "Ryan," Her voice hardly sounds like the voice he's use too, "We both _know_ that I don't deserve you being nice to me…at least not this early into the school year."

"Then tell me how to act and I'll do it." He offers.

"It doesn't work like that." She snaps.

"Who says?!" He demands as he imagines throwing his fist down on top of the piano, but that is no way to get on Kelsi's good side right now, and he briefly wonders how things began to go into reverse. She is the one who cheated, but yet he is the one who's demanding to get back together.

She blows out air; having no idea what is going on through his mind at the moment. "You're supposed to be mad at me. You're supposed to yell, shout, scream names at me until you're red in the face, and then…after time," Her voice drops to a less hysteric, "maybe we can start things over again. Only time can help us."

He shakes his head. Time could go to hell for all he cares. He needs contact with her. He spent all of sophomore year trying to figure out a way to ask her out, all of junior year being her boyfriend, and just because of one minor…well, major slip up that they can work through happened, he isn't going to stop having contact with her.

"I don't believe that. If we can't have any relationship now then I don't think 'time' is going to help us out in the future." He snaps a little too harshly for both of their likings.

He takes a calming breath as the only sound in the auditorium is coming from the construction workers behind them.

"Look," He breathes out and softly reaches up with his hand and wipes a piece of hair behind her ear; grinning internally as she seems frozen to his touch still. That is a sign that he still means something to her. She always used to react someway to him, whether it was a slight blush that crept up onto her neck all the way to her cheeks, her breathing would pick up, or her heart beat would race frantically, "it's just…time isn't on our side now. And I'm not saying we have to jump into a full blown relationship yet, it's just…we are friends, right?"

She takes a small step backwards, his effects on her wearing off and her mouth opens, but nothing comes out. He waits patiently as he makes sure that his light brown eyes that match his sisters perfectly bore into her.

"…We're still friends." She breaths out and a small true smile tugs at the edges of her mouth.

He nods his head with a beaming smile that can probably be seen from miles away; if that were possible. "Just give it time Kels and we'll be better than before…just not _too_ much time." He adds light heartedly all of a sudden. The bitterness, anger, sadness, and any other emotion he was feeling except happiness leaves his body.

"If you're sure." Her voice was uneven.

He flashes her his white teeth. "I'm very sure."

* * *


	6. On Top of the World

_Look out across the water  
Faces of lonely daughters and mothers who care  
But just can't be there  
Swear that I will see you someday  
I have to find a way  
To show you I care  
Even if you're not there  
_On Top of the World--Boys Like Girls

* * *

The sun beats down onto her skin; warming her from the cold morning they experienced that morning of their second day of school. The bark from the tree can be felt through her simple black tank top that fits her skin tight. The cool grass tickles her bare legs and all the way up the bottom of her thighs, reaching her blue jean shorts.

She clenches her eyes shut to try to block out the unwelcome thought, but it's just too much.

_His hand was warm as it pressed itself into the middle of her back. If it went any lower it would look too unusual, but it if went any higher than the person that the hand belonged to wouldn't get any satisfaction out of touching her. If only she knew what he was thinking at the time, and maybe she will be able to force herself to believe a certain blue eyed boy come March._

_His other hand that was a shade of tan as the weather at school up in the upper part of Massachusetts was surprisingly warmer than normal for being only October. You could easily tell that their trigonometry teacher, Mr. Eric Johnson had been outside previously that week due to the perfect tan on his hardened arm, showing off some veins as he flexed normally._

_His fingers tapped on her desk calmly as if anyone was looking away from their books and the fifty questions they were assigned for homework and happened to let their eyes drift over to Gabriella in the back seat of the corner of the room along with Mr. Johnson leaning over her; studying her paper, then they would see a sickly sweet smile on his face that any girl would love to get from him._

_She squinted her eyes some, forcing herself not to pay any attention from the teacher leaning over her who nearly had his cheek pressed up against her own as she forced her mind to try to figure out the correct answer to the fourth problem._

She sighs half heartedly while kids walk past who don't have to be in class since it is only Freshmen who have to attend classes that day whisper and every once in a while glance in her direction. She knows what and who they're talking about. Everyone, even after a day and a half now, are still talking about the previous school year and how she's back for good now.

_Any girl student wouldn't or couldn't deny that the new trig teacher was hot. If you looked up the word 'Godlike' in the dictionary, his picture probably would be in there. He had deep blue eyes, like the ocean when the sun was going down and it was lightly glimmering on the open water. His body type was of an athlete as he could've went to the major leagues for baseball, but a leg injury ruined his chances his final year of high school. No one could believe that his next choice in career was to be a math teacher._

_His shoulder rubs up against her own and she shuts her eyes not knowing how much Mr. Johnson was enjoying being this close to her._

_Most girls sat outside early mornings at 6 o'clock in the morning just to catch a glimpse of him going on his usual jog without a shirt on, showing off his hardened six pack that kept getting better and better, but Gabriella didn't care. She has Jason and she is happy with him, she didn't need to get a glimpse at Mr. Johnson considering he always seemed to make conversation with her without her having to do anything special with the way she dresses or looks._

_She rubs the eraser against the paper for what seemed like the tenth time and lets out a huff of air. "Do you need help Miss Montez?" His smooth voice asked._

Her fingers absentmindedly pull at the soft grass below her as she makes herself comfortable against the tree trunk that has branches hanging out left and right, some of them close to the ground so you can actually sit on them in a straddle position without having to climb it. She smiles as this is where Jason and her spent most of their Junior year lunchtime. They rarely ate inside the loud, large, and obnoxious lunchroom where at least two hundred students went to regularly everyday at the same time. It was just too much, and if it was too much the previous year, then Gabriella knows that it will definitely be too much for her this year.

_Gabriella willed her mind to follow his directions, but it was hard with him still halfway leaning over her, watching her every move as if she was a bug in an enclosed habitat to study. She didn't like it, but made no special note to do anything about it because it wasn't like he was doing something really bad. Even though he talked to her all the time didn't mean that he was going to follow her to her room one of these days._

"_Do you understand?" His hushed voice broke through her scrambled mind as she sucked in air quietly through her parted mouth._

"_I uh…" She cleared her frazzled mind as she swallowed softly, not realizing that there were another set of dark blue eyes on her from her left side in the back row. This was the only academic class that she had with Troy Bolton that year without any of their other friends with them and then she also is in his art class alone. "yeah. I understand. Thanks." She said a little too fast._

_Troy watched silently, quietly, defensively as he swallowed a low growl of disapproval. Was he the only one that was noticing the teacher's fond closeness with Gabriella? The way Mr. Johnson would look at her with clouded over blue eyes that were similar to his. The way he would always linger on Gabriella's name during attendance, look up with his flashy white teeth, and lift his eye brows in a suggesting way. Also, the way Mr. Johnson would always act all stiff around Gabriella and their group of friends if he spotted her with any other guy._

_And of course, this new found awareness that Troy is basking in has nothing to do with the fact Mr. Johnson was probably the most well known and liked teacher this year already since he got along with all the students and related to them, except Troy himself and Jason. It raised Troy's suspicions a week ago when all this seemed to becoming clearer and clearer when Jason complained of getting caught kissing Gabriella on campus during school hours, and him getting a demerit while Gabriella got off squeaky clean. _

_And of course Troy isn't accusing Mr. Johnson of anything because it seemed like to everyone Mr. Johnson hated him. He would always narrow his eyes on Troy that would send shivers down his spine. He would watch him like Troy was some kind of criminal and this all was happening because Troy was accusing Mr. Johnson of something because of his actions towards Gabriella herself and not him and Jason. None whatsoever, _yeah right.

_Troy tapped his foot in a hurry with soft thuds so no one else heard it. Mr. Johnson was at Gabriella's desk too long, was he really the only one that wasn't blind when it came to the unknown fact that maybe Mr. Johnson wasn't the greatest teacher ever?_

"_And he's so muscular." A girl next to Troy gushed as Troy recognized her to be his girlfriend's best friend, Emma. Sharpay and Emma took drama together along with Ryan and Kelsi who also hung out with Troy, so Troy talked to Emma sometimes. "His blue eyes," Troy smirked suddenly as he looked ahead of himself, convincing himself quietly that when he looks back towards Gabriella's way which was only three feet away from him, **he** will be gone. In the meanwhile, he gets to listen to girls gush about him, a common result in the female population at Davidson Academy, "are to die for. She is so lucky."_

_Troy bit his bottom lip knowing they were talking about Sharpay._

_The red head spoke next from in front of Emma as she turned her head a little. "I saw him running the other day and I swear his muscles are getting bigger and bigger."_

_Troy felt his face contort into confusion. He didn't go running the other day._

"_Gabriella Montez has to be doing something to get Eric's attention. She already has Cross wrapped around her finger, and it would be a shame if she couldn't handle both of them." Emma whispered as Troy strained his hearing and realization hit him. They were talking about his math teacher._

_A different voice picked up in Troy's ear as he turned away from the two gossiping girls on his left side and saw Mr. Johnson smiling while squeezing Gabriella's shoulder lightly in what some would see it as encouragement, but he saw it as a sick touch of a desperate man. But he wouldn't say anything since Gabriella looked to be oblivious to it, and he was probably letting his bitter judgment get in the way of other peoples' business._

_Surely if anyone would be able to notice anything going on with Gabriella it would be Jason since the two were practically inseparable, and even though that sometimes got irritating for Troy, he would pick Jason over Eric any day._

_Troy felt two eyes burning themselves in his forehead as he ripped his eyes away from the unknown Gabriella and up to see two darkened blue eyes glaring (?) at him. Troy sunk lower in his seat as he didn't dare to look away and met Mr. Johnson's glare. Something was up; if only Troy knew that this something would later effect people in the long run._

"Heads up!" A male voice that was too smooth for it's own good called out and Gabriella immediately rips her eyes open and her quick reflexes for soccer kick in and she catches the orange basketball that was flung at her face.

Gabriella holds the steady basketball mid air, five inches away from her face and then lowers it with a small smile on her face. She can recognize that voice anywhere, which could look bad if anyone else knew that. She isn't supposed to be able to do that with her roommate's boyfriend of three years.

The tall figure walks over with sweat visible on his upper forehead, matting his sandy color hair to his forehead. He flashes her a white vibrant smile.

"Mind if I sit?" His smooth voice that can be made into music asks.

Gabriella can't help what slips from her mouth as a natural reaction to her. "Mind if your girlfriend bites my head off?"

Troy chuckles a good throaty chuckle from deep within his throat as a soft smile graces Gabriella's face. She completely forgets what happened between them six months ago.

Gabriella knows that was a low blow beneath Troy's belt because even though she doesn't like his girlfriend that much, but nonetheless tolerates her the best she can, she didn't have to make low comments about Sharpay to Troy's face even though she can say a lot worse.

"…sorry."

Troy has a smirk grace his perfect features. "Don't be, you're right. You should probably put the bag over your head." He teases motioning to the brown bag he brought with him that holds his lunch that he brought from the cafeteria.

Gabriella giggles, "No, seriously…what are you doing out here?" She asks. She picks at the grass waiting for his answer as he looks up from digging out a bag of chips that he has for his lunch and holds it out to her and she shakes her head.

"You know me Brie," his voice is strained while his face shows deep concentration; trying to find something specific in his lunch, "I love the outdoors…plus Shar is doing something for drama already and she didn't want to be bothered."

And there it is. The truth is revealed that she is always going to be second best to Sharpay even though almost everyone else at school will disagree. But Gabriella also knows Troy loves the outdoors just as much as she does. It is something about being in the open space and looking out at the hills and mountains surrounding their school that brought peace upon people. Gabriella loves drawing it and she knows that is something her and Troy have in common as most people didn't even pay attention to it.

A silence overcomes them as he finally pulls out two granola bars, a pb & j sandwich, Gatorade, and a second bag of chips as Gabriella looks at him in disbelief.

"What?" He asks while ripping the curst off of his sandwich. A smile that looks like he is trying to control it waltzes onto his face.

Gabriella shakes her head, playing it off. "Nothing, just…you're eating all of that?" She didn't mean to sound rude, and Troy didn't take it as being rude since he merely shrugged. His smile never leaving his face.

"No." His answer is simple. "Some of this is for you...that is if you want it."

Gabriella rolls her eyes. "I already ate."

He still puts the bag of chips next to her along with a granola bar. "Yes, but what did you eat?" He challenges.

Gabriella sighs, "Does it matter?"

He smiles crookedly at her, something he is known to do. "No. I guess it doesn't. Just making sure that you're doing okay."

Gabriella opens the bag of plain chips and pops one into her mouth, deliberately taking her time to show Troy that she is eating. "Thanks."

He shrugs a little; continuing to pick the brown crust off of his sandwich. "I'd even give you half of this if I wasn't that hungry and Chad didn't make such good sandwiches."

"Believe me, I know. But over the summer I think I ate too much of Chad's cooking, and believe me, it's funny watching him try a recipe when he has no idea what he's doing."

Troy chuckles again as Gabriella feels at ease. The past day and a half exiting through her system, taking away the stress and frustration she was feeling from others who meant well: offering her their condolences for her family, or at least used-to-be family, and even though her parents were divorced since she was twelve, her mom was still effected by his death.

"Here." Troy's hand flings up with half of the sandwich following in her face. "I'm being nice and since this is like a reunion between us, I guess I can spare half a sandwich." He jokes as Gabriella's face scrunches up into confusion. "You know…this is where we met three years ago. Don't tell me you forgot Brie?" He feigns hurt.

She looks around taking in their surroundings. The sidewalk thirty feet away, the fountain that's running only a couple of feet away, and the tree that she's leaning against that has the low branch so you can sit on it with your feet still touching the ground. This is the exact spot Gabriella was talking to Kelsi and then out of no where a football comes flying at them. She remembers everything.

"How could I forget Bolton?" Gabriella jokes as they both let out a chuckle and a flash goes off. Gabriella closes her eyes out of instinct, as of last year, she hates being in pictures and would much rather be taking them than starring in them.

"_Open your eyes Ella." His voice taunts. Daring her to watch the scene unfold, living through it knowing that it isn't just a scene, but her life. _

_A flash goes off as she feels her body paralyzed to the bed in a sitting position. She could run, she could fight, but what was left to fight for? He killed three people, two of them were before her eyes. She can't deny it, she's scared. _

"_Open your eyes and show off your smile."_

"You okay Brie?" Troy asks as an involuntary shiver runs through her spine. "You don't mind that I told them we weren't interested in helping out the graduation committee, do you?"

Gabriella shakes her head. That's what the flash was about? Getting pictures already of the senior class for the annual graduation slideshow? Wasn't it too soon for all of this? They still have nine months before the ceremony. But it was another feeling Gabriella isn't used to overcoming her body. A feeling of a new hurt on a different higher level. Just thinking about graduation hurt her and it all links back to the pervious year, the year that changed so many peoples' lives.

"They got a good picture of us though. What's wrong?" Troy asks noticing her discomfort. "I can go tell them to delete it if you don't want a picture with me…" He spoke slowly, slow enough to let the hurt of her rejection linger in his words.

"No." Gabriella says too quickly and then takes a calming breath. "It's nothing like that. It's just…we're seniors now. We're the top of our school. Every class is intimidated by most of us. We get first dibs in seats at sport games, we get lunch first, and we can basically go off campus whenever we want."

Troy chuckles again at Gabriella as Gabriella's cheeks flush a light pink, but she doesn't bother to hide it. "And in nine months we'll be going off to do our own thing in this huge place some people like to call 'the world'."

There is a silence as both of them ease out of the conversation and pick at the food Troy supplied. Gabriella glances over to the girl who holds a camera and her perky smile that seems to never leave her face as she is busy taking pictures of flowers? Her eyes get caught on the condos behind her where the teachers stay if they aren't a dorm advisor and they actually want to live on campus.

She stares intently at the first condo and sees that it's absolutely dark on the inside even though it's in the middle of the day for them. No one has lived in that condo since March last year, and that's the way the school wants to keep it.

Troy follows Gabriella's view and sighs quietly. "You know…graduation should be fun. As seniors who knows what kind of pranks we can come up with."

Gabriella rips her eyes away from the mini apartments and back to Troy who by now has finished his half of the sandwich while she still has all of her half. She holds it out for him and he takes it back without asking.

Graduation is a touchy subject with Gabriella and hardly anyone knows why. "Do you have any plans for the future Troy?" She asks abruptly while turning to look at him once again.

His eyes cloud over for a moment; trying to think of the correct answer instead of the truth, but he settles for the truth anyways since he figures you can't go wrong with that.

"Sometimes. Like I have this calendar that holds all of Sharpay's plays in it along with the sports games that I want to see, and basketball games that I'm expected to play in."

Gabriella smiles a little as his deep blue eyes that were like no other, even though a lot of kids say he had similar eyes compared to Mr. Johnson, but Gabriella knows that they're different. Troy's is a creamier color, they hold truth and sincerity when Mr. Johnson's eyes were cold and hollow.

"I mean…like in nine months? Or even just a couple of months from now and it comes around to college application time. Do you know what you're doing then?"

"Not a clue." He murmurs. He has never been asked that question before. Sure, he always has basketball, but he's only as good as his next season with the Wildcats at Davidson Academy. And even if he didn't have basketball he could always work and take over his dad's company that is doing exceedingly well considering they could afford more than this school and then some, but Troy just pushed that aside for his last option. "What about you?"

Gabriella sighs as she looks away from his piercing blue eyes that work magic on anyone that looks at him. "Photography. It helped me so much over the last couple of months. I figure it can only help me in the future too."

"Then you should be the one taking the pictures for graduation. Everyone knows that you're awesome at it, and everyone at graduation will be able to see your art." Troy encourages as a blush takes Gabriella's face again. It is true that everyone around schools knows Gabriella and Troy both love their art, and Gabriella was exceedingly well at capturing people and scenes in pictures; just like her dad.

"I'm not going to be at graduation."

Troy looks up from the grass he was picking and he knows his eyes show disbelief. How could anyone decide nine months away that they aren't going to their graduation?!

"What?" He asks dumbly.

Gabriella's small shoulders go up and down and Troy momentarily forgets what they're talking about as the strap to her spaghetti strap tank top falls down her small arm slightly.

"I just…it's complicated."

"We've got time." Troy looks down at his 'fake' watch and then back to Gabriella with a cheeky smile. "All day to be precise."

Gabriella sighs tiredly as she slumps against the tree some more and plays with the bottom of her top. "It's just…have you ever back packed across Europe?"

"No, but what does that have to do with grad--"

"Exactly." She cut in. "I was supposed to do that. I was supposed to visit all the historic places, take pictures of every memory, and most importantly…I was supposed to do that with my dad." She avoids his line of gaze while he blocks out mental pictures of the last time he saw her dad's lifeless body in the coffin. "When I turn 18 this December I legally get the money he left for me and that's more than enough to live with for the rest of my life, but instead of doing the smart thing with it and investing it and doing all the bank things that my mom suggests; I'm going to Europe just like my dad and I planned, and I'm leaving the night of graduation."

They are silent and Troy sees Gabriella slowly roll the orange basketball she put aside before on the ground; probably trying to distract herself from thinking about the past couple of months.

He has to say something, shouldn't he? "You know…" He knows that he should've been the bigger person and tried to contact Gabriella after their fight back in junior year instead of going to the three funerals with their group of friends and silently saying nothing, but it is obvious that she forgives him since this is the first time that they are together alone in six months. "I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to visit you over the summer. It's just I had a basketball camp that was only for up-and-coming seniors, and I figured since Tay and Jason visited over the summer for all of June and they probably had Chad _baby-sit_ you everyday that you would go crazy if someone else came to intrude your life. I didn't want to just show up last minute in August and expect you to welcome me." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I guess I just feel guilty."

Troy looks over at Gabriella and sees that she looks hesitant about something. Her mouth opens, but nothing comes out. She repeats this process again, but this time words fly out. "Don't feel guilty. _Please _don't feel guilty." She begs. "Everyone feels sorry or guilty for me. My mom blames herself. Chad, everyday, told me that it wasn't my fault. Jason blames himself. Taylor blames herself. Everyone feels guilty and it's…," she hesitates again, searching for the right word, "it's just fucked up."

She looks around at the school buildings surrounding them and sees a bunch of lower class girls looking at them from fifty feet away, and then quickly look away as she makes eye contact with them. She sighs and rolls her eyes at their antics.

"How are you doing? I want to know about everyone else and what's going on with them. I'm tired of talking about myself and explaining my feelings." She declares and Troy smiles at her admiringly. If he was ever put into her position he knows that he would have gone crazy by now.

"Basketball camp was a bitch in the heat." He states as the conversation keeps flowing between the two, as if nothing happened between them the past three years.

* * *

**Author's note--So i know that there's a lot of un-answered questions in the past couple of chapters, and I keep adding to them, but I'm just laying out the story and obviously something happened to Gabriella, but only the up and coming chapters will answer any of your questions and that includes what happened between Troy and Gabriella, and everyone else's relationships. Review Please because in order for me to post chapters, I need reviews. Thanks.**


	7. Holiday

_Before I run far away  
I need to take a holiday  
Maybe it's a fall from grace  
I gotta find a new place  
A holiday  
I'll set off on a new chase  
I gotta see a new face  
I need to take a holiday  
_Holiday--Boys Like Girls

* * *

Anniversary.

An anniversary is an annual observation of a past event. You could make anniversaries out of anything. Ranging from dating for a certain amount of time which was a more common one, to the day you last had sex with your significant other.

If your name was Chad Danforth, anniversaries sucked for you. He hates celebrating anniversaries; mostly because he has never felt the need to celebrate anything with another person. Although he loves partying for the fun of it, you didn't always need to have a specific reason, and he might also feel a hate toward anniversaries since the girl that he loves is on her eight month anniversary date with his so called 'friend'.

If your name was Sharpay Evens, anniversaries meant A LOT to you, but only if they were for you and no one else. Anything that had to do with making things revolve around her is a plus, and she milks it for anything it's worth. So even if it's counting the days until her and her boyfriend have sex for the first time in months, then she will call it their _special_ anniversary and celebrate it over and over again.

And if you were anyone else at Davidson Academy then you always fall in between the two people who either love or despise anniversaries. There is no way of getting around it. You're always smack dab in the middle of Danforth and Evens.

* * *

"You're just sitting here." She points out in a deadpan voice that is uncommon for anyone to hear when that tone came out of the annoying blonde laying on her bed, trying to get her boyfriend to cuddle with her and to do 'other things'.

Troy grunts as he darts his tongue in and out of his mouth, making a gagging noise as his hand reaches up and picks Sharpay's blonde hair out of his mouth and then pats her head so she doesn't get too suspicious.

"Technically I'm just laying here." He corrects to be funny, and if it was anyone else they would at least chuckle, but it was Sharpay, so he got no response except a meant-to-be hard hit in the stomach.

"It's been...," she looks up into his blue eyes and he sees that her eyes are light. Too light...and that is never good. Her face shows concentration as he squints his face a little to show that he's just as confused as she is and that he actually is listening to her, "God, I can't even count that much, but it's been too long since we've had sex!" She declares.

"Way to be blunt Shar." He states as he gets another whack in the stomach, but hardly feels it since he is a proud owner of a six pack.

"Well someone has to be because I've gone way too long without sex and I'm going crazy!" She exclaims once more and before he can even process what she's doing, she's straddling him and pressing very fast and hard kisses to his neck while unbuttoning his polo shirt. "It's our anniversary." She says seductively in his ear while nipping at it.

* * *

_The air was quiet. The ocean was slowly coming up onto the beach and then retreating into smooth waves. The sun was going down and the scene was perfect._

_Gabriella collapsed in her spot and outstretched her tan legs so her toes would get splashed with water as the current moved._

_She heard panting nearing and a small smirk formed on her face to cover her pain. The pain that was making itself at home in her body, mind, and appearance. But she had to stay strong, or else her meetings with the therapist and doctors would be useless._

"_I think running that fast should be illegal Montez." A raspy voice spoke up as Gabriella felt sand getting splashed up onto her leg from the afro clad boy sitting next to her in a lazy manner._

_She let a small smile replace her mask-of-a-smirk. "Chad, you're just out of shape." They both knew that was a lie. She tried to make her tone sound like she truly meant she was joking because she was. It was just harder these days to make emotion other than hate and sadness show through._

"_So I was thinking that tomorrow after we recuperate from the bomb fire tonight that we can go down to the boardwalk and check out that new skateboarding shop?" He suggested slyly._

_Gabriella nodded her head with extra effort. Jason had just left for the airport three hours previous to when Gabriella decided it was time for her and Chad to go for a jog down the beach to clear her mind, but it didn't work. _

_After Taylor left two weeks ago at the end of June with much distaste knowing that she now had to spend her summer in extra pre-college courses to her mother's liking. And what really set Taylor off was finding out that day she was leaving that a certain brown haired, brown eyed boy was coming in the next day to visit Gabriella. _

_Jason came at the start of July, as soon as he could get away from all his family and his dad's business. He spent two weeks with Gabriella and Chad just doing about nothing as the two of them together always tried to lighten Gabriella's mood, but nothing seemed to be working. She tried putting on fake smiles and fake laughs erupted from her mouth, but none of it was convincing. Hence, 'babysitter Chad' comes in handy as both Taylor and Jason directed him to keep Gabriella busy and in line so she doesn't shut down and combust anytime. _

"…_That sounds nice Chad."_

_Chad frowned, and you could hear it in his voice. "You're lying."_

_Gabriella shut her eyes as she leaned back and felt the sand go into her bare skin due to the lack of clothing she had on consisting of only a red tank top and black athletic shorts that showed off most of her thighs._

"_You read too much into things." She mumbled._

"_You're like an open book. All I have to do is look at you and 'BAM!', instant gratification of knowing what you're feeling." He exclaimed with a small chuckle at his choice of words._

"_It's summer, you shouldn't be reading things…or people." Gabriella warned._

_He pursed his lips together; ready to retaliate. _

_Gabriella didn't have to open her eyes to notice he was thinking of something to say. "I know Jase and Tay asked you to baby-sit me, but I'm a big girl Chad. I can take care of myself." _

_He let out a huff of air just realizing this was the first day of the two and a half month summer that this was the first time they were alone without Taylor or Jason with them. Chad never knew how hard keeping Gabriella in tune was going to be since Jason made it look so simple when all he had to do was wrap his arms around Gabriella and she would be at peace, but he couldn't do that. They were very good friends, but he just didn't have the same effect Jason did, and he was just realizing Gabriella was going to make 'babysitting' a lot harder than what Jason and Tay described it as._

_Chad thought for a moment, letting Gabriella just lay there; thinking that she won this little argument. _

_If he was in her position, he wouldn't want someone as his keeper. He would want to live out his feelings without having someone down their throat at the first sign of trouble. He would want and need a feeling that told him that he was in control and Gabriella was just not getting that if Chad was dragging her around all over LA to distract herself. She would never heal if he did that. And even if Jason and Tay would attack him later at school for letting things get out of hand, at least he can say he had Gabriella's best interest in mind._

"_So if you don't want to go to the skateboarding shop tomorrow, what do **you** want to do?" He asked pointedly, his corners of his mouth twitching with a sly smirk._

_That was enough for Gabriella to open one of her eyes and look at Chad with a curious face on. Chad was having serious trouble trying to keep the sly look off of his face as he raised an eye brow; silently challenging Gabriella to ask him what was up._

_She sighed, and shut her eye again. She was slowly being fooled by Chad's change of plans. _

"…_I want to run tomorrow. I want to run from everything." She demanded._

* * *

The ride over to the restaurant wasn't bad, considering Zeke and Taylor only had to walk a block to get to the well-known Italian restaurant that almost all fellow Davidson Academy students went to some time in their lives.

The food was good as they slowly digested it and now were waiting for the desert to come that Zeke insisted they order to split between them since he had been working in Jason's dad's new restaurant that he opened one year ago in New York and this was the exact same cake that was in the other restaurant and he just had to taste it again; which Taylor was more than okay with.

They talked about their summer and what they did, occasionally the other one interrupting their partners story to comment on something, flirt a little, and share a kiss here or there. Zeke was just finishing a story about him and when he went on vacation with his parents again just as the piece of cake came that looked like it was almost too big for the small plate.

The waitress put it down in between them with two forks and a smile and she walked away; leaving them to a calm and nearly quiet atmosphere as they sat in the more secluded spot in the back of the restaurant; one of the only tables you got if you requested it a head of time.

"Did you order a piece or the whole cake?" Taylor asks jokingly as Zeke picks up one of the two forks closest to him and takes a little piece of the chocolate cake that is drizzled in a chocolate syrup and some whip cream and offers it to Taylor.

"Here. Try some." Zeke tempts, wriggling it slightly in front of her face as Taylor rolls her eyes at his antics, but nonetheless tries it.

"That is good!" She exclaims happily as he smiles at her; a knowing smile gracing his dark face as he takes his own bite.

"Told you." He retorts joyously as Taylor picks up her own fork and starts sharing the piece of cakes with him. She looks at Zeke and smiles once she realizes he's watching her and he no longer is taking any of the cake.

"What?" She asks quietly, a faint blush coming over her face.

"Uh…it's nothing." He murmurs as Taylor isn't that stupid to let it go. She knows that look on his face, and it tells her that something is different.

"Zeke," their eyes connect, "what's up?"

He sighs as he reaches across the table and grabs a hold of her hand. "Who would've thought that eight months ago we'd actually start dating?" He lets out a chuckle and Taylor smiles a bit, wondering where this is going. But she has to silently agree with him because everyone was surprised when they came back from Christmas break and found out that they were dating.

"I mean, we're gonna be deciding what colleges we want to go to soon and I know we don't see eye to eye on that subject, but I just think you deserve to hear this," his grip tightens on her hand and Taylor narrows her eyes a little as she's trying to figure out what he's getting at, "I…think I love you." It came out so fast that Zeke has to stop gripping Taylor's hand and take the time to think about if she understood him.

Taylor's heart stops for a moment. How can he go from telling her that they probably won't be at the same college in a couple of months to he loves her? It just didn't make sense.

Sure, she has never felt this way about someone before; the only other person that has come close to her liking this way was Chad, but that is in the past. Chad waited too long to do anything and now she is with Zeke, it is as simple as that, but does she love him?

He is waiting for an answer as his grip reforms on her hand and she looks down at the two linked hands. Something inside of her tells her that she's only going to get hurt if he is already counting on the fact that they're going to different colleges. How did he already know that? She just can't get around that fact that he's probably already thinking about how to break up with her.

"Um…Tay?" He asks hesitantly. His tone holding uncertainty in his voice and she snaps her head up.

"Yeah?" She asks quickly in a tone that is much higher than her normal voice.

"I said I love you." He states again and it makes Taylor feel guilty for even thinking that he is going to break up with her in the long run, but it's true, isn't it?

She puts a smile on her face, hoping it doesn't seem too fake. "I love you too."

Whether it is the truth or not, their relationship isn't going to last if he's already banking on the fact that they're going away to different colleges; so who can it hurt other than themselves if she tells him what he wants to hear.

Zeke smiles as if it didn't take her a minute to respond to him. "Come here then."

He stands up and Taylor looks confused by his actions, but stands up nonetheless and he leads her into a passionate lip lock that leaves her weak in the knees and her lips left slightly parted.

* * *

'_KNOCK, KNOCK!'_

Chad grumbles something that would not be permitted in a church and narrows his eyes on the small ten inch TV that him and Troy both chipped in on during their freshmen year of school and clenches the remote tighter in his hand.

He is not in the mood for visitors. After all, why would he be? The girl that he is pretty much in love with and will do anything for is out on her _eight _month anniversary with his supposed '_friend'_! How the hell did they make it eight months?! They aren't even right for each other! No one thought so in the beginning, and now Chad has to make an extra effort to block out the gossiping girls around school and how they wished they could have a relationship like Zeke and Taylor.

'_KNOCK, KNOCK!'_

Chad's hand shakes with the remote to keep his anger in line. "GO AWAY!" He yells.

"Fuck Chad! Open the door!" A girl's voice exclaims as a "thud" is heard against the door and what Chad presumes to be her foot is probably throbbing now.

Chad rolls his eyes, but doesn't deny. "Come in if you must!"

A light is illuminating the already messy room of Chad and Troy's, even after two days of having no classes, and a petite girl walks in carrying a soccer ball under her thin arm that looks like it can break if not for the small muscle there.

Gabriella stands before him after closing the door with her foot and kinks an eye brow in a questioning manner. She knows Chad is killing himself over this night, but this is just getting to be too pathetic.

He has chip crumbs on his shirt, his hair looks greasy from playing basketball earlier, his eyes have no life and Gabriella can't stop herself from commenting, "You look like shit right now."

He rolls his eyes and Gabriella smiles as she sits down on the ground, her back against the bed he is laying on and leans her head back so it's laying on the unmade bed to stare up and over at Chad who doesn't look amused, but nonetheless tolerates her. This is one of the reasons why Chad is one of her favorite people, they just click as good friends and they learned how to take care of each other over the short summer.

"You look like…," Gabriella smirks as she knows she won this little bantering comment competition as Chad trails off and rolls his eyes, "I can't think right now."

He lets out a frustrated moan and Gabriella smiles sympathetically. "Why is this so _HARD?!_?"

"Because she's Taylor. The same exact Taylor who you ended up spitting milk on during our first ever freshman lunch, and the same Taylor who punched you right in the jaw for doing it." Gabriella answers simply.

He just groans even more and puts a pillow over his face and counts loudly up to ten. Gabriella winces a little as he pulls the pillow off of his face and notices nothing has changed. His eyes are still the deep brown that when the light shimmers on it they turn black. His grip on the remote didn't loosen until his other hand pries his fingers off of it and tosses it carelessly onto the other bed that's across the room and over in the corner near the window.

"What's up Montez?" He asks probably to only change the subject.

Gabriella sighs remembering the event that made her change her mind from entering her new dorm room. It was the pink glittering sock that was hung on the brass door knob that indicated that Sharpay is in the room with who anyone could only presume, Troy. Or at least Gabriella hopes that it is Troy, or maybe she didn't. She is still undecided if she wants to see the two of them break up, but she definitely doesn't want them to break up on Troy's loss and heart ache.

She had just come back from playing soccer with some of the girls that were on the team last year, and some of the guys including the famous Kent Hanson who is the guys varsity captain and also a big partier who tried to score as many girls as possible, but all around; he is a nice guy.

She made it past the various girls and guys in the lobby of her building and only had to walk like ten feet from the lobby to her door and she didn't know how she could miss it from the door of the building, but sitting where the bare brass knob should be on the door hung a sparkly pink anklet.

Gabriella decided there and then that she did not want to interrupt anything Sharpay and Troy(?) were doing so she hiked it back out and over the football field that is dividing the upper girls and upper guys buildings together and set out to find Chad.

"I think Evens and Troy are 'bonding' together again." She sighs.

Chad's features soften and looks down at her with pity? Or is it sorrow? Or is it both? Gabriella doesn't know, but she does have enough sense to know that she shouldn't be receiving it form Chad since it really shouldn't matter if Sharpay and Troy are having sex. She just is glad that she got a heads up so she didn't walk in.

"What?" She asks clearly puzzled.

"Nothing." He insists and the glow of the TV show off his face, and she can tell now that he is lying to her. She looks at him pointedly. "Nothing." He says again.

Gabriella rolls her eyes, "You know, we spend all summer together and I thought we formed a bond, but if you feel like you can't talk to me then I don't know what I'm doing here." Gabriella decides to play the guilt card and starts to stand up as if she is going to leave.

Chad sighs, and grabs her hand before she can take another step. He pulls her back so she crashes to the bed; the soccer ball rolling out of her hand. "It's just…I've been waiting three fucking years for her. It's bound to be my time any day now." The afro clad boy declares and Gabriella knows that he's still caught up on this Taylor issue.

"I know it is." She comforts as he sits up and allows her to sit side by side next to him and lean against the wall his bed is pushed up against.

"Just like you and Troy Gabi." He murmurs and Gabriella looks at him, about to deny something, but his face tells her not too. His face holds hope and she just can't take that away from him.

After silence Gabriella starts stirring in her spot. The air is too thick for her, and she didn't like it. Not after spending most of her summer with Chad who is always joking around with her; she doesn't like this serious stuff for too long. She has Jason for that and Chad has Troy for that.

"You know what I feel like doing right now?" She asks abruptly.

He turns towards her with a wary face. "…What?"

Gabriella smiles, "Let's run."

* * *

**Author's Note--So I've updated again and I'm quite pleased with this chapter; which probably means that I'm gonna get hardly any reviews, but whatever. You guys should know by now that I like reviews and if you don't then you do now, so please review and tell me what you think, even if you hate it and you don't like the pairings, (which are going to change later into the story and a heads up, some are gonna start changing soon,) but yeah...review please.**


	8. The Rock Show

_Black and white picture of her on my wall  
I waited for her call  
She always kept me waiting  
And if I ever got another chance  
I'd still ask her to dance  
Because she kept me waiting  
_The Rock Show--Blink 182

* * *

_Her breath was uneven. Her lips were fully swollen, tantalizing, inviting and he just couldn't stop himself. He plunged his own fully swollen lips against hers and continued their battle of the better tongue._

_Her hands took their spots in the back of his head, threading in his dark brown hair that needed a haircut again as his hands stationed themselves against the wall and on the small of her back to keep her pelvis in tune with his and to keep her standing up as he knew her knees were surely going to buckle._

"_Jase…" Gabriella panted as he trailed kisses down her exposed neck with the blouse she had on that showed off just enough cleavage for his liking. "Class started two minutes ago."_

_She moaned as he bit down into her neck, sucking gently, trying not to lose control as they were standing against her maths building since he had a free period and she was supposed to be in the class, but he text her and told her to wait for him._

"_Numbers…can…wait." He mumbled as her hands trialed down the back of his head and one repositioned itself on his upper hard arm that held enough muscles to her liking, and the other one rested above his blue jeans pants buttons. "Gabi…" he groaned as he redirects his lips to connect with hers again._

_She smiled into the hot embrace of his lips and his own hands crept slowly to the hem of her shirt and start sliding up. Normally they weren't like this in public, but since no one was around, why not? Plus, since school started three weeks ago, they found themselves only studying together, eating together, taking two classes together, and hanging out together with the gang as they were too tired to do anything else._

_A clearing of the throat broke them apart as Jason's hands froze before they could actually cup her breasts and he quickly withdrew his hands as he saw the new trig teacher standing with his arms folded across his chest with a disapproving look on his face mixed with irritation._

_Jason looked back at Gabriella who was straightening out her yellow blouse with a slight blush on her face, as if it was another time Jason would tease her about, but he knew his face was beat red also._

_Mr. Johnson narrowed his eyes on Jason before looking at Gabriella and slightly softening his look, and then looking back at Jason with hate?_

"_Class started five minutes ago." He snapped coldly and Jason somehow knew that he was only talking to himself and not Gabriella._

_Gabriella shuffled her feet in her spot nervously. "We're sorry Mr. Johnson. It won't happen again."_

_He didn't seem to hear her because he was still staring at Jason with hate. "Where are you supposed to be young man?!"_

_Jason thought the first time he met Mr. Johnson his first day of Junior year that he was a cool guy who wouldn't act like some sixty year old teacher who didn't know the meaning of fun, but it seemed to him that after Mr. Johnson found out that Jason was dating Gabriella he always disliked him for some reason, but he was just imagining that, right?_

"_Um…," Jason looked at Gabriella, but she was looking down at the ground with shame, "I have, um…free period sir."_

_Mr. Johnson let out a huff of air. "Demerit." He snapped and Jason quickly looked up along with Gabriella. _

"_For what?" Jason couldn't stop himself from hissing out as Gabriella grasped his hand and ran her other hand over it soothingly._

"_For PDA." _

"_But there's no one around. How is that in the public?" Gabriella asked quietly as normally she wasn't so intimidated, but there must've been something about this teacher that freaked her out, which Jason couldn't blame because he seemed to just naturally hate him._

"_Miss Montez, please go inside. This doesn't concern you. I'm letting you off on a warning." Jason's and Gabriella's mouths both dropped open. "Now." He said a little louder as Jason wanted to just turn and give her a goodbye kiss, but he knew that he was already in a shitty position as it was._

"_I'll see you after class." Jason whispered as they let go of each other and she walked into her class where 19 other students were waiting, trying to listen to this little debacle._

"_Get along Mr. Cross. Maybe next time you decide to break another rule you should probably make sure that you don't already have warnings."_

_Jason narrowed his eyes and turned around swiftly before he said something he would regret._

* * *

"I can't believe I let things get this bad." Gabriella says with a depressing tone laced with regret.

Kelsi lays a comforting hand on her knee as both girls are sitting on their lobby's couch, cross legged facing each other, at six in the morning on the third day of school which just so happens to be a Friday, so the upper classmen only have one day of classes until the weekend when the sports try-outs are.

"Don't feel bad. You couldn't of done anything." Kelsi reasons, but Gabriella refuses to believe that.

"No." She shakes her head stubbornly. "If I would've come back then--"

"Don't say that because we all know that if you would've came back things probably would've been worst. You did what was best and if that meant the soccer team had to hold off on their own, then so be it!" Kelsi declares in her sweet voice that usually is always shy and tentative, but now since she is around Gabriella and they are close friends, Kelsi doesn't always feel shy.

Gabriella sighs looking at Kelsi's calendar that she put together the last couple months of school their junior year that held all the soccer information and Gabriella lets out another sigh.

Sports at Davidson Academy are a lot different than the public schools. At public schools you have sport seasons, well…at the Academy sports are all year, but yet manageable if you want to play multiple sports since they have it set up that way. Certain sports practice at certain times around school hours, and on certain days along with the games that are set up.

Games are usually on the weekends ranging from early morning to late at night from Friday night to Sunday night and the less populated sports like golf and tennis are the only two sports on the weekdays with the occasional soccer, basketball, baseball, or football games that need to be rescheduled.

The games always coincided with the months, the school takes all of September for sport try outs and practices, then once October comes around you keep having practices, but since it's a full month of school with no breaks like Christmas or Spring break, then you play every other week, resulting in two weeks per month…unless it is December or March then you only have it once a month. And then you also have only two weeks of June where the teams get in one more game and then the tournaments start which result in everyday getting games and tournaments in lasting from six in the morning to eleven at night. It is crazy.

Gabriella flips through the calendar. She never came back from spring break so that left her team to play five games together and the tournament with an undefeated record, but everything they worked hard for went down the drain after their first game without Gabriella there and they lost three to one. The downward spiral started there, but Gabriella is determined not to let that touch their new record this year.

"We'll just have to work harder." Gabriella declares as she shuts the calendar forcefully knowing no one is going to hear them since no one gets up until they absolutely have to since it's only the first day of classes for them and most kids go to class on Fridays in their sweats and sweat shirts.

Kelsi smiles victoriously, glad that Gabriella is showing some kind of emotion towards soccer which she hasn't seen since before March last year. "And it helps that we have our captain back who still holds the record of most goals per game."

Gabriella rolls her eyes. She doesn't care about that, she just loves playing. "Stop." She says modestly.

Kelsi rolls her eyes as she turns the TV volume up so they can watch a rerun of Dawson's Creek together until classes start at seven-thirty. "It's true. You hold the team together. Somehow they always listen to you when you direct them what to do out on the field." Kelsi shudders jokingly. "It's _creepy_."

Gabriella just smiles knowing it is going to be a good year. It has to be.

* * *

_The school year was going great for them so far. Why wouldn't it be? This was only their second day of school and so far the guys just clicked. Troy and Chad were roommates and they were both pretty laid back guys, so they got along great. You could easily tell they are going to be great friends._

_Then they met up with Jason and Ryan who are roommates also and they all have gym the same time so it just fell into place. They only managed to get in trouble twice so far in two days so that is going to be a pretty average thing, but they really didn't care. It wasn't the end of the world._

_If they see a fight break out the first day of school, why should they have to run to class around the huge quad just so they can listen to some fifty year old boring teacher preach about the etiquettes of being on time? It didn't make since, so why follow the rules? If they wanted to stay and watch the fight, then so be it._

_Right now the four of them were playing catch with a football, even though none of them played football. Chad and Ryan are both trying out for baseball, while Jason, Troy and Chad also are trying out for basketball the next weekend. But somehow they managed with a football and since they were all athletic, they made due with the sport none of them wanted to play._

"_Dude, this school is fucking huge!" Jason exclaimed as he threw the football to Ryan about forty feet away as the four boys were in a square form._

"_Full of girls though." Chad commented as there was hardly anyone outside since it was only high thirties considering the wind was blowing hard and it looked like it was about to rain._

"_Bolton, see any you like?" Jason asked as Ryan threw the ball to Chad._

_Chad over estimated a throw to Troy and before Troy could answer Jason's question, they all watched the ball fly over Troy's head and towards two girls who were standing on the sidewalk talking with the pale skinned, baseball hat wearing girl facing the boys as the brunette who had long legs clad with blue jean shorts and a simple t-shirt that fit her curves was facing away from him._

"_Gabi." The hat girl exclaimed as she jumped out of the way and before any of the guys could comprehend what happened, the girl Gabi turned around and caught the football that fell right into her hands._

_Troy looked at Chad like he was crazy and all Chad could do was shrug his shoulders and motion for Troy to get it back as the two girls were busy looking at each other questionably. _

_Troy sighed as he jogged over to the girls and he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Chad had really bad aim with a football. How could he ever play baseball?_

"_Sorry. My friend can't aim." Troy explained right away as Gabriella's face softened and she handed the ball back to him and Troy momentarily forgot how to breath. _

_Her deep chocolate eyes looked into his blue ones as neither one noticed that Gabriella's friend Kelsi told Gabriella that she had to leave to get ready for soccer try-outs even though it was about to rain, but the school could always close the roof so the water wouldn't tear up the field with their soccer cleats also._

_Gabriella's long brunette curls framed her face as a small smile overcame her face and he extended his hand. "Troy. Troy Bolton."_

_Gabriella showed off her perfect white teeth surrounded by her lips that looked glossed over. "Gabriella Montez." They were quiet for a few seconds as they couldn't stop staring at each other. "Um…here's your football." _

_Troy took it back as he saw that Gabriella's eye line was shifted from his face to something over his shoulder. "I think your um…friends are getting irritated."_

_Troy looked over his shoulder and saw that all three guys were looking rather impatient and were trying to hold in their mocking glares as they probably knew that Troy found Gabriella attractive._

"_Doesn't matter." He said simply as Gabriella giggled and it was like music in his ears._

"_Which one was the friend that can't aim?" Gabriella asked slyly._

_He looked at her warily. "The one with the afro. Why?"_

"_Give me the football." She demanded softly and Troy handed it over slowly and watched as she pulled her arm back and threw it with such force that it went spinning into the group of three boys and Chad had to swat the ball down onto the ground to keep from getting hit._

"_HEY!" Chad exclaimed as Gabriella and Troy couldn't help but laugh._

"_GABI, you're gonna be late for soccer try-outs!" An African American girl yelled from the front steps of a girls dorm and Gabriella looked at Troy almost in a way that told him that she didn't want to leave._

"_Look Troy, I have to get going, but I'll see you in art?" She questioned._

"_You take art?" He asked incredulously. _

"_You probably would've noticed if you weren't too busy talking your way out of detention for being twenty minutes late." Gabriella joked as she walked backwards so she was still facing him as she headed towards the building that held the girl who Troy recognized fit the description that Chad described to him who he accidentally got milk on the other day._

_Troy felt a slight blush erupt on his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck. He mentally made a note to sit next to her in art class. Maybe then he wouldn't have to come late to class. _

"_See you around Brie!" He yelled as Gabriella did a double take before turning fully around to head back inside, probably surprised that he already gave her a nickname, but Troy liked her. He really liked her, so why not? Neither one of them knew that their friendship would always keep them waiting; like some game._

"_Did Bolton have fun talking to the girl who is vicious?" Chad asked in a baby tone._

_The guys laughed as Troy just shook his head with a smirk on his face. "Dude, your just mad because she can throw a football better than you." Ryan stated._

"_Yeah…whatever. Her friend isn't better. I "accidentally" spit milk on her and then it's like the end of the world." Chad said sarcastically._

"_They're really not that bad." Ryan said._

"_You know them?" Chad asked with disbelief._

"_I have a few classes with Gabi." And Troy all of a sudden felt like he was running out of time._

* * *

"What?!" Sharpay exclaims into her pink glittery cell phone as she is pacing the stage with her three good friends sitting in the front row of the new chairs that were just put in. Their eyes following Sharpay's body back and forth, eyes wide in shock.

Sharpay loves talking on her cell phone. It is like God's greatest gift to her not including drama and performing. But the only exception to talking on her cell phone was if she was talking with one of her parents…this is one of those times.

"How can you do this to me?!" She exclaims once again and finds that she's getting even more irritated with how calm her mother sounds. If Ryan was with her, then she would have made him talk to her before she even got the chance to say 'hello'.

Sharpay lets out a huff of annoyance; not even bothering to cover it over the phone. "But why do you guys have to come next week?" She whines.

"It's parents weekend next week, and I think you can suffer one night acting like a family with your _family_." Came the reply in a tiring tone.

Sharpay glares a head of her. "But _mom,_" she whines even more as she knows that she's going to lose this one. Their school only holds three parents weekends: one in the very beginning of school, another during the middle of school which is a stupid idea since that's when the students are crazy because it's mid term week, and then at the end of school which is even more stupid since that's when everyone's finals are, "can't you wait until next parent's weekend? We just saw each other not even a week ago."

"We are coming and that's **final**." Mrs. Evens declares.

"What makes this dinner different than others? You saw Ryan and me the _whole_ summer!"

Mrs. Evens sighs dismissively. "We have the plane tickets already and you're going to see us, but maybe you'll like this idea better…," she knows her husband isn't going to approve, but to get her kids to come to a nice family dinner she has to see them eye to eye on this, "would you be willing to come if each of you could bring someone?"

Sharpay's brow furrows as she knows that this is unusual with her mom suggesting this. She knows that if she gets to bring someone that someone is going to be Troy, and she knows her mom knows this and her father, but she also knows that her parents don't see eye to eye with her on the whole Troy thing. They don't particularly like him, but if she is having to have to go through dinner with her parents then Troy will be with her.

"You do know who I'm bringing, don't you?" She asks.

"Yes honey, and your father and I are looking forward to this," her voice is thin, "_event._"

Sharpay scoffs, "Fabulous."

"Yes dear, and can you please tell your brother because for some reason his cell phone hasn't been turned on for the past three days."

Sharpay rolls her eyes not really liking to talk about her brother as they merely tolerated each other. "…fabulous."

* * *

Sharpay slides her sunglasses down from the top of her head to over her eyes as she squints to look out forward to try to spot where she knows her boyfriend is.

She waltzes forward once she sees the orange basketball just laying by a tree knowing that's probably where he is since he is so fascinated with the outside; which she will never understand.

But she stops walking once her pink heels hit the grass and she sees his body leaning against the tree trunk. He has his sketchpad in his lap as his knees are bent to use as some kind of clipboard, but his head keeps looking up and then down while his hand moves with the pencil.

She follows where his eyes are looking and glares angrily. There Montez sits on the lower tree branch right next to her boyfriend just looking out across the wide quad of students who are busily walking and talking since it's after school hours now.

Troy is drawing her!? They are suppose to stay away from each other, why are they sitting together!?

She marches over there and clears her throat as neither one of them notice that she's there and Gabriella nearly falls off the tree branch which wouldn't do anything to her since she's only two feet above the ground and Troy's eyes go wide while his pencil stops moving across the paper and he nearly gags on his own air.

"Explain?" She snaps.

"Hey…uh…hey Shar. What are you doing out here baby? I thought you had a meeting with Darbus?" Troy asks nervously and he scrambles up and kisses her quickly on the cheek.

Gabriella stands up also, but slowly as she's hardly intimidated by Sharpay since she can easily be as much as a bitch as Sharpay, but just chooses not too.

"Hey Evens." She greets as politely as she can muster.

Sharpay lowers her white sunglasses and sends a look towards her before putting them back on her face. "What's wrong baby?" Troy asks.

She sighs dramatically, after all this is a very serious issue for her. "We're going to dinner next week with my parents and Ryan and which ever girl he's dating now after the whole _Kelsi_ incident." She states and Troy pales a little as neither one notices that Gabriella has already taken off.

"Wh…what? And your father agreed to it?" His nerves aren't masked as he knows that Mr. Evens doesn't like him, and neither does Mrs. Evens, but she tries her hardest to not let it show.

"That's the plan."

Troy holds in a groan. His parents aren't coming to parents week for the first time in three years, now he has to deal with Sharpay's parents who are worse than his own. "You love me right?" She questions in an innocent voice while twirling her hair.

Troy shuts his eyes and then opens them in mental pain. "Of course."

"Then be ready next week at six-thirty. There's only going to be seven courses. Love you." She goes on her tip toes and presses a sloppy kiss to his lips before turning around swiftly and waltzing back to the air conditioned auditorium.

"Seven courses lasts forever." He grumbles as he wipes off his mouth and looks around for the brunette he was in the middle of drawing as she has no clue what he was doing while he just plopped down next to her forty minutes prior and she continued to just stare off into the distance. "Where did she go?" He asks himself quietly.

* * *

**Review...Review...Review. Tell me what you think!**


	9. Someone That You're With

_Well I'd rather start off slow  
This whole thing's like  
some sort of a race  
Instead of winning what I want  
I'm sitting here in second place  
_Someone That You're With--Nickelback  
_

* * *

_

_There weren't even words on how to describe what he was feeling. The blonde haired boy could barely sit still as his girlfriend for months came into view with her hair down as the sun beat down on her which was almost unusual since it was only just the beginning of May._

_Kelsi smiled at him as she sat down next to him on the steps that led up to the doors which belong to the drama building._

"_Hey. What are you doing here so early? Class doesn't start for another thirty minutes." She asked as he couldn't keep the smile off of his face._

"_You know summer is just around the corner." He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice. He picked up her hand that was laying by his on the cement step and laced their fingers._

_She gave him a tentative smile while avoiding his gaze. "Oh?" Her voice was small._

"_Yeah and I have a feeling that it's going to be a good summer."_

_She looked down at the steps as if interested in them more. "…yeah." Her voice was distant, but he didn't seem to notice._

"_Yeah and I was doing some research and did you know that your favorite band is coming to New York City? I thought that maybe we could drive down there after the school year and then after that you can come on the cruise my family is taking. It'll be fun."_

_He looked at her with curious eyes as those things that he suggested weren't the only things he came up with as he had their entire summer mapped out practically. "Well?" He prompted once she didn't say anything._

_Kelsi sighed as she finally looked at him with almost sadness in her eyes? He wasn't quite sure. "Ry…I've been meaning to talk to you."_

"_What is it?" His brow furrowed as his grip on her hand automatically tightened on her hand. _

"_You know how I applied to that one program at Julliard?" Kelsi asked, and didn't wait for his response even though he did know what she was talking about. "Well…last week when the mail came, I found out that I made it and well…it's an eight week program."_

_His heart dropped as he did the math in his head and tried to remember two months ago when Kelsi was recording her ballad that she was sending into the program for an audition tape, and that was when he would accidentally interrupt her with questions._

_She had told him that it started the last week of June and went until the second half of August. _

_He tried to keep the look of hurt off of his face because that would be selfish if he asked her to stay with him, and if he remembered correctly she gets like one break that consisted of four days during fourth of July weekend and they could always do something then as he knew that she probably would want to spend her other free time with family because her and her parents were close._

"_That's great!" He finally exclaimed._

_Kelsi smiled as if relieved and a sigh erupted from her throat. "Oh thank God. I thought you would be mad." She obviously couldn't tell then._

_Ryan smiled at her again and gave her hand a squeeze. "Of course I'm happy for you." Which wasn't a lie. He was extremely proud of her, but now he would be stuck on a yacht with just his family and no one else except servants for three whole weeks. "I love you. Nothing you can do will change that and if you're going to be going away to Julliard soon then I guess we better make the most of things here."_

_Kelsi smiled at him as she stood up with their hands still laced and he followed suit. "After drama class, I'm all yours."_

* * *

The library's air is thin and cool as Chad sees that his whole arms are covered in goose bumps. He can't help but keep glancing down at his arms and staring at the rigid little bumps instead of concentrating on the book in front of him that is just mocking him with words that he doesn't know.

Somehow he went from a freshman who had decided when picking classes out that he wasn't going to take a foreign language, even if the head master told him too, and now a senior who is in their fourth year of Spanish and trying to complete a three week project with five other people, and more specifically…one of those people is a certain girl who he is crushing on.

Taylor is sitting right next to him and throughout the hour they've been in the library sitting by each other with two people across from them and then two people at the heads of the library table, Chad had always made sure that he never came into contact with her body whatsoever whenever he moved in position to get more comfortable.

Taylor sighs again as she notices that Chad isn't paying attention as their project consisted of creating a whole other universe with their own government, economy, and anything else that makes the world run, but the catch is…it all has to be in Spanish and they have only three weeks to come up with blue prints, drawings, essays, and posters.

The thing that is ticking Taylor off the most however, is that the three guys in her group are all apart of the basketball team and all share the same idea that it will be more practical if they work for three hours every other day instead of one hour a day to complete this assignment quicker than the expected three weeks. It sounds nice, and hard since they have other school work, but the girls were outspoken.

And then there's Chad who's not even doing his share as the group of six had divided everything into three groups and then split up into pairs. She willingly volunteered to be with Chad, but now he's not even concentrating!

"Chad." Taylor hisses under her breath as to not disturb anyone else in the library or alert the library teacher herself. "What are you doing?"

He looks up with sheepishness. "It's cold in here." He almost whines like a little kid and she rolls her eyes as all of a sudden the two students sitting across from them stand up.

"We're gonna take a break, you guys want to go get a smoothie?" Jake with rich brown hair asks and Taylor and Chad look at each other questionably as the other two kids in their group stand up also and already start heading out of the room.

"I'm good." Taylor says slowly as she knows that she promised Zeke before that they can also do something that night since after all they did just proclaim to each other the day before that they love each other, so why should they stay away from each other the next night?

Chad sighs almost disappointingly. "I'm good too. Catch you later man." He bumps fists with Jake and before Taylor knows it, all of their groups is gone. "Are you cold too?" Chad starts up again.

"I told you that you should've brought a jacket." She points out in a motherly tone.

He rolls his eyes like a five year old. "Yes ma'am. But to be fair, I wasn't listening. I was too busy watching the arm wrestling competition that broke out between our football captain and wrestling captain." He must have seen the look that she is giving him because he smiles sheepishly at her again. "It was a good one."

"Yeah?" She asks sarcastically. "And who won?"

He seems oblivious to the fact that she's mocking him. "The football captain, Sean of course."

"Of course." She nods her head and his face contorts into confusion before it clicks in his brain that she is making fun of him and he chuckles.

"You're mean."

"Whatever…let's get back to work." Taylor immediately looks down at the book in front of her; trying to block out the eyes that she knows are still staring at her and not at his goose bumps or the book which could actually help him.

"Tay?" He asks after a moment of silence. She looks up with raised eye brows expecting some weird question to come out of his mouth that she would most likely laugh at later when things aren't so stressful. "Let's go out," she opens her mouth to say something, but he must have caught himself, "as friends. Let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry and I bet you are too." He tempts.

She looks down at the book which she hasn't even finished the third chapter and then back at Chad who looks hopeful. "After you read one chapter, then we can go order a pizza."

He jumps at the idea, "Great!"

* * *

"You have sauce…right here." She leans over and gently dabs at the pizza sauce in the corner of his mouth. His mouth twitches as she scraps it off as he knows that he so could have easily licked it off, but instead she put in that extra effort to do it for him. That has to mean something, right? Unless she just has this weird liking that he doesn't know about with something to do with touching other peoples' faces with napkins?

"…thanks." He says uneasily as he looks around the room while he knows that a slight blush is on his cheeks.

They are in his room as Troy is out with some other people probably playing basketball or something as Zeke is around someplace, but he truly doesn't care that much.

"So…what's new with Tay?" Chad asks bluntly and he takes a bite of his pizza.

She lets out another giggle and picks up the napkin again. "You have more sauce…right here." She goes to dab it off again, but he grabs her wrist slightly.

She pauses as she's halfway leaning over him and their eyes connect. She opens her mouth to speak, but he beats her to it and whispers, "Let me get a chance to eat it." He slowly licks his lips.

He can't help but glance down to her slightly parted lips that are full and then to her welcoming brown eyes again and he notices that her breathing picked up a little. He smiles, but doesn't give her wrist back while he slowly with his other hand takes the napkin out of her hand and lowers it to the ground.

"You have really creamy eyes. Did you know that?" Chad whispers as he leans in some.

Taylor is about to answer, if not for the talking and cheering that can be heard down the hall and close to the door and then all of a sudden Taylor rips out of Chad's grasp and the bedroom door whips open and Troy, Jason, and Zeke enter; all three without a shirt on.

"Dude, where were you man? The game was awesome." Jason exclaims as Chad can't help but look at Zeke and Taylor while they exchange smiles.

Zeke walks over to Taylor with a questioning glance and she stands up along with Chad who instantly plants himself down on his bed while Troy is busy setting up some play station game.

"We were just eating dinner after our study group." Taylor explains before Zeke can even greet her, but Chad has a smirk on his face. She feels like she has to defend herself, and although he doesn't enjoy making her feel nervous towards Zeke, he does enjoy knowing the fact that they just shared a moment.

"No prob babe." He replies while leaning forward and instead of kissing her cheek, Taylor turns her head so he catches her lips lightly. He pulls back confused, at first, but decides to say nothing about it as he didn't mind that she doesn't care showing a little PDA in front of the guys.

"Get a room you two!" Ryan calls as he enters the room and Chad sees a blush erupt on Taylor's cheeks as she looks down at him with a small smile and something in her eyes? As if she is reminnding him that she is Zeke's and not his girlfriend to kiss.

* * *

"_Who knew the cook can salsa?" Taylor cheered as their fingers were laced together and he led her over to a table while more Latin American music was being played extremely loud and people were congregating out onto the dance floor._

_Zeke turned his head back towards her for a brief second before facing forward again and holding out a chair; indicating for her to sit down._

_Taylor gracefully sat down as he sat across from her and the cream colored walls surrounded them. Even though back in the states it was winter, the weather was hot down in Mexico for Christmas Break._

_It was a surprise to both Zeke and Taylor when they ran into each other at the same hotel, and ever since then Taylor has managed to ditch her parents for the past three nights to hang out with Zeke out on the beaches, boardwalks, and now a club that was really different compared to the ones back home._

"_There's a lot you don't know about me McKessie." He stated in a flirty way._

_Their eyes locked for a moment as Taylor didn't know what this feeling was. Sure, she had boyfriends in the past, but Zeke was just a friend, right? Or at least that is what she had to keep telling herself. _

"_Zeke…what are you doing?" She asked in a hushed whisper as they both were starting to lean and his hand guided itself across the table to take her hand._

"_I'm not doing anything except holding your hand." He smiled cheekily at her as she couldn't help but smile back at him. Their heads were still slowly moving towards each other._

"_But what about--"_

"_You're not with anyone now. I'm not with anyone now except you, and I think I really like you." _

_He stopped leaning in as Taylor could feel Zeke's breath on her own lips. She stopped moving in once Zeke stopped, realizing that he only stopped to give her an option of not kissing him._

"_I think I like you too."_

_He smiled at her; showing off his teeth. "That's all I needed to hear."_

_He leaned in the last inch and their lips connected for the first time. It felt like fireworks were going off in Taylor's body as she kissed back, making the intended soft kiss on Zeke's agenda turn into a fierce battle. It felt like something she's never felt before. Hopefully that would be a good thing._

* * *

Taylor knows she has eyes on her, but she concentrates on the sixty girls in the field in front of them at least fifty feet away. She shifts uncomfortably on the metal bleachers as she lets out a huff. Who likes sitting on bleachers anyways?

"I can't believe you've been here since eight this morning." Zeke states as it is now close to eleven-thirty.

Taylor stiffens a yawn. She can't believe that she's made it almost three and a half hours of watching soccer try-outs, but she promised Gabi and Kelsi that she would be there to watch them even though everyone knows that they'll make the team since they are the Co Captain and Captain of the varsity team, but it doesn't matter since they both promised to show up to her tennis try-outs also.

"Yeah, but they should be getting a break soon for lunch and I said I'd go with them." She reasons. "Plus they're coming to my tennis try outs later this week."

Zeke grins as she finally turns to look at him. He showed up around a half an hour ago. "So when do tennis try outs start exactly?"

Taylor knows there's nothing innocent about the smile he's sending her. "Next Friday."

"God," he groans, "I can't wait to see you in the skirt." He scoots closer to her.

"Skort, not skirt." She corrects him. Zeke looks at her in a confused way and she sighs. "Skorts have shorts underneath."

Zeke rolls his eyes with a glint in his eyes. Neither one of them were paying attention to the girls jogging off the field. "Whatever, we'll make it work." He leans over and lightly kisses her.

She shuts her eyes automatically as she does every time she kisses him. It is the same thing every single time as his tongue gently pries open her mouth to explore the known crevices. Everything is just becoming a scheduled routine, and she doesn't like it.

* * *

Gabriella's panting as her hands are behind her head and she's trying to refill her lungs with air. This is the one thing that she hates about soccer: try-outs.

The air feels warm and sticky as she looks out of the corner of her eye to see Taylor and Zeke talking and all of a sudden something brown catches her eye.

She turns her head; blocking out what the three coaches are talking about as she knows the drill: be back in an hour and a half, after having lunch, and then you'll find out if you made the team after having three and a half hours of try-outs in this heat.

She smiles as she sees Jason who's looking right at her and he waves. She nods her head telling him that she sees him and he motions for her to come to him right after. She gives him the thumbs up and turns back around to see Kelsi looking at her curiously.

"You okay?" She whispers breathlessly as everyone is still panting around them, except Gabriella knows she's getting her breathing regulated faster than others since she's probably the only one that stuck to the training schedule the coaches wanted them to follow.

"Yeah." She whispers back as all of a sudden the girls start jogging off the field to collect their things and go get lunch and take a shower.

"You coming?" Kelsi asks as Gabriella knows she's talking about getting lunch with Taylor and probably now Zeke, so Gabriella was just going to invite Jason too.

Gabriella looks at Jason who's talking to some of the girls from last years team and rolls her eyes as she knows that he should really get a girlfriend already. He spends too much time taking care of her, and it isn't healthy.

"I'll meet you downtown in ten." Gabriella responds as Kelsi nods and heads over to where Taylor is now standing with Zeke holding her hand.

Gabriella starts heading over to Jason as now that she's cooling down, she can feel her body getting even more sticky underneath her short black shorts, yellow t-shirt, long socks, chin guards, and cleats.

She picks up her pace, and before she can even leave the grass to get to him by the bleachers, a hand grabs her by the arm and her first instinct kicks in and she flinches.

"Sorry." His sheepish voice apologizes and she's breathing heavily again.

She turns to look at the blonde haired boy with wide eyes. "No…it's okay Ry." Gabriella tells him. Her friends all know that she's still a little jumpy, it's not their fault. "What's up?" She asks distractedly as she looks over to where Jason is still standing as he's even peeking over the two girls' shoulders to look at her with an exasperated look. She knows he hates getting bombarded by girls when he's not in the mood.

She looks back at Ryan who looks like he's debating something with himself. "I was uh… wondering if you have plans for this Friday?" He asks quietly. Gabriella's eyes go wide as she knows that she's not ready to date again.

"Look Ry--"

"As friends of course. We'd do something as friends." He says quickly; realizing his mistake.

Gabriella holds in a sigh of relief. She really didn't need her friendships with her good friends being screwed with just because things didn't work out with them on a more intimate level.

"Yeah. Of course we can do something. What did you have in mind?"

"Um," he scratches the back of his neck, "there's this thing around seven with my family, and--"

"Is this the family dinner Sharpay was bitching about last night on the phone with who I presume to be your mother?" Gabriella asks dreading the answer.

"Have I ever mentioned how much my parents love you." He adds quickly and she lets out a huff of air.

"Ry, I don't know." She knows this is a bad idea. Sure his parents love her which no one really understands since it's very hard to get on Mr. and Mrs. Evans' good sides, but Gabriella somehow is, but if Troy is going to be there along with Sharpay, then things were sure to heat up.

"Come on. A drama filled night when you aren't involved." He tempts as Gabriella smiles a little. "It will be like witnessing a soap opera up close." He must see her hesitant face. "Plus you get to see Sharpay squirm under the pressure my parents will put on her to end things with Troy, and I would've asked Kelsi, but things are still weird, and since Taylor is dating Zeke, it wouldn't be right. Too many violations of the guy code."

Gabriella sighs, "You know how to sell things Evans."

He smiles warmly. "So you're in?"

She lets out a shaky breath. What can it hurt? Plus she gets to silently tick Sharpay off by just being polite with her parents. "…Yeah."

"Great. I'll pick you up at six-thirty because God only knows that my parents hate people who are late."

"But aren't we only going down the street?" She knows the Evans' love Italian food, or at least Ryan, Mr. and Mrs. Evens did. Sharpay hates it with a passion.

"Trust me. With my parents, you don't take your chances on being early with. But even if it lasts for hours just remember that you'll get a first hand view of my parents talking to us about college."

Gabriella nods. It is definitely going to be a very interesting dinner.

* * *

**Author's note--So can you guess by now which relationship is changing? And if so, remember I promise drama, so maybe it's not what it seems? Review please and thank-you. The more reviews I get the faster I'll update considering that I have the next ten or so chapters written out and all I have to do is click on the 'edit' button for this story and add them. Thanks for the support so far, I really appreciate it.**


	10. Ice Cream

_I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!  
Rah! Rah! Rah!  
Tuesdays, Mondays, we all scream for sundaes,  
Sis-boom-bah!  
Boola-boola, sarsaparoolla,  
If you got chocolate, we'll take vanoola!  
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!  
Rah! Rah! Rah!  
_Ice Cream

* * *

_The brown hair that still had some visible dark blonde highlights, the blue eyes that girls were beginning to talk about as he was slowly rising to popularity since after all, he could already beat some of the old varsity players in basketball, and the good looking body all belonging to the same boy wouldn't leave her mind._

_It must've been fate that Ms. Darbus would call on her out of the twenty other freshman in class to return a book to the library where she spent twenty extra minutes because she ran into this 'boy'. _

_She didn't even bother going back to class as she felt too excited to just sit there, plus class would be getting out in less than five minutes anyways, but it must've been fate because that same 'boy' was on an errand for a teacher or something, or was it because he had to go see the head master because of another detention? She didn't quite know or understand it because this was the first time she saw and talked to him, but she did know that she was too excited and she had to share this information with someone. And who better to share it with than her roommate?_

_Her roommate was Gabriella Montez, and as of four days ago Sharpay was appalled that she had to share a room, but according to her mother since they didn't get home from their cruise on time, they missed registration and the only other rooms that were open were doubles. But over the past four days Sharpay knew that she can at least stand her._

_Sharpay walked in and already saw the very petite Gabriella Montez with the long brunette hair cascading over her slim shoulders eating an apple, sitting at her desk with ear phones in her ears, and a book open in front of her indicating that she was already starting on homework even though classes just got out for the day._

_If she didn't tell someone about the boy that she met she was sure that she was going to pop. He was just too damn hot to not tell anyone about their meeting and how he accidentally walked into her when turning the corner, mumbling something under his breath about cursing some art teacher? Sharpay didn't really understand that either because how was she supposed to know that he was late getting to art for the fourth time and had just received his fourth detention, but then again, she was attracted to him and needed to know these things. _

"_Gabriella." She called as she shut the door behind her knowing that this was her only option for someone to talk to since Gabriella seemed like a nice girl and the other girls in her classes all seemed like they would try to steal her thunder about her boy story._

_Gabriella mustn't of heard her as Sharpay walked further into the room, but refused to resort to yelling, so she did the next best thing. She extended her long and narrow finger and poked her harder than necessary in the shoulder blade. _

_Gabriella nearly fell out of her chair as she jumped in surprise before calming down once realizing it was Sharpay who was in the room. Gabriella turned off her ipod and turned in the swivel chair with a small smile on her face. "What's up Sharpay?"_

_Sharpay sighed dramatically. "What'cha doing?"_

_Gabriella glanced back at her homework, and shut the book as if it didn't mean anything. "Nothing, just reading something." _

_However, Gabriella knew that it was more than that. She was reading something Troy Bolton recommended to her in art class the other day. And the only reason why she's reading it now is because art class got over thirty minutes earlier than normal since the teacher had to deal with Troy for being late a fourth time. It was actually quite funny with how Troy would keep pushing the teachers limits because she was never one for yelling or discipline. _

"_What's up?" She asked as Sharpay sat down on her bed and laid back so her head hit her pink fluffy pillow._

"_Let's talk." She declared and Gabriella hesitantly stood up and sat on her bed which was separated from Sharpay's by only a two foot bed side table that held a lamp on it._

"…_okay." Sharpay didn't say anything as Gabriella looked over and then straight ahead as she took the same position as the blonde girl did. "What about? Is everything okay?"_

_Sharpay opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She was not going to be the only one giving up persona information at this moment, no matter how badly she wanted to share that she just met this incredible hot boy, Gabriella had to cough up something first._

"_You like boys, don't you?" Sharpay asked._

_Gabriella's eyes bugged wide open as she stopped herself from gagging on the air. "Yeah. I like guys." Did Sharpay really have to ask that?_

"_Good. We're on the same wavelength then." Sharpay pursed her lips together while staring up at the ceiling. "Meet anyone yet?"_

_Gabriella was silent for a moment and Sharpay knew from the first three seconds of silence that Gabriella had indeed met someone. "Don't lie. Spill." Sharpay tempted with an encouraging smirk that told Gabriella that she knew. _

_Gabriella sighed, "What do you want to know?" Her voice was weak as if she knew that she lost and she was slowly being sucked into the 'girl talk'._

"_Everything."_

"_He's in art with me." Right away Sharpay was turned off by this. She never did get the whole big art picture when her dad would drag her around all over New York three years ago when they lived there for only three months. She never got why people would want to draw things when you could act them out instead. "…he's medium height, shaggy brown hair, very tan, like he goes to the beach everyday." Gabriella sighed._

"_Sounds…," Sharpay paused to try to find the appropriate word so she didn't actually offend Gabriella when she had to put extra effort into laying still so she didn't give off the fact that she's excited to start talking about the guy she just met, "fabulous."_

_Gabriella smiled dreamily, but Sharpay didn't see since they're both looking up at the ceiling. "He plays basketball and he's really good. I actually just saw him last night and we hung out in the art room and--"_

"_Wait." Sharpay cut in abruptly. "You actually stayed late in a classroom when you didn't have to? You actually ate in a classroom when you didn't have too?" _

_Gabriella rolled her eyes, but kept the smile on her face as she couldn't help it. She had a crush. "We were just fooling around with the paints, but he's so nice and funny and caring."_

"_He sounds nice." Sharpay admitted, but he was still nothing compared to the 'boy' she just met. "What's his name? Maybe I know him."_

_There was a pause and Gabriella rolled over onto her side so she's facing Sharpay as she's still looking up at the ceiling. "Troy. Troy Bolton." Gabriella smiled, "Okay, I know you're asking these questions for a reason. Who's the boy you met? Tell me his name." She prompted. _

_Sharpay stopped breathing as she hoped Gabriella didn't notice. How could this happen? How could she have met Troy before her? It wasn't fair! She had just met him ten minutes ago, and Gabriella met him days ago?_

"_His name is," she paused again and glared up at the ceiling. He was perfect, Gabriella was perfect, she was perfect; so let the best girl win, "I uh…actually didn't get his name. I have to go."_

_Sharpay stood up and waltzed out of the room, picking up her pink purse in the process on the way out and slinging it over her shoulder. What she didn't know was that in less than twenty minutes a certain brown haired, blue eyed boy was coming by her room to meet up with her roommate._

* * *

Kelsi feels sick just thinking about it. But it is at times like this that she can't help herself as her demented mind thinks about the summer and what she went through at Julliard.

The kids were awesome as she still keeps in touch with some, but in ways she lost things in return. She can't even concentrate on what her teacher Mrs. Gribble is talking about in the 'gangs' earth science class, well…almost all the gang is in the class as there's only one person that isn't in their class who Kelsi and almost everyone can do without; Sharpay.

Her foot taps impatiently on the ground as she blocks out the teacher who's explaining what they're going to be doing for their very first project which will be with your brand new science partners who will be with you for the whole year.

Her eyes shut in boredom.

_This was wrong. It was more than wrong, but she couldn't help but look over the piano and at the guy who's sitting at his own._

Kelsi sits back in her chair as she opens her eyes and observes the class. She sees that practically their whole gang is sitting by someone that they can tolerate due to the fact that they didn't get assigned seats yet, that is until the teacher Mrs. Gribble assigns them their new science partners.

_Before Kelsi knew it the pale skinned, brownish red haired boy is gliding across the room and then within seconds is already sitting next to her. Her fingers tripped over the white keys as she felt a body rub up against her own and make itself comfortable on the hard wooden piano bench._

_Kelsi looked around nervously for a minute before turning her head to glance at Tom, the guy who she had spent most of her time with over the past couple of weeks._

"_Aren't we the most productive people in the room?" He joked as Kelsi let out a small giggle as she knew that they're the only ones in the room._

Kelsi looks sideways at the girl who she recognizes from her drama class and Sharpay's good friend, Emma. She is filing her nails while looking down with her blonde hair framing her face away from people. Kelsi looks up and around the room at everyone else bored out of her mind.

"_What are you doing Tom? We're supposed to be practicing." Kelsi pointed out._

_Tom rolled his green eyes as his hand grazed hers on the piano keys. "Who are you? My mother?"_

"_If only it was that simple." Kelsi muttered as she pushed past the guilty feeling in her stomach as she knew this was bad. What about Ryan? She couldn't flirt with Tom._

Gabriella and Troy are sitting up at the front of the classroom at the table near the door. Kelsi smiles as they both are so alike, and they don't' even know it.

They both are looking down at their notebooks, both equally concentrating on not what the teacher is explaining, but what they're drawing.

"_So a bunch of us are planning on going out for pizza tonight before our 'mini' vacation." Ton said referring to the fourth of July break they were receiving the next day._

_Kelsi smiled, "I hope the bunch of you have a good time."_

_Tom rolled his eyes, "I was inviting you too you know?"_

_Kelsi giggled at how easy he was fooled by, "I know."_

Taylor is sitting next to Zeke in the back of the room as she's trying to take notes while Zeke is poking her in the arm, and trying to distract her.

"_You in then?" He asked with a hint of excitement. "It could be fun? I hear Mark is gong to attempt the ten gallon ice cream challenge."_

_Kelsi bit her lip as she swore Tom got closer to her. "I don't know. I have an early flight tomorrow."_

"_Come on. It's gonna be fun, but it won't be fun without you." Tom tempted._

Chad and Jason are at the table in front of Kelsi while they're playing paper football.

_Kelsi looked up and her eyes locked onto Tom's again. His head was leaning in some and his eyes leave hers and glance down at something before looking right back at her again._

"_What are we doing?" Kelsi asked in shock._

"_Shh…"_

And then there's Ryan who's sitting directly behind her and she can feel his eyes in the back of her head. She still doesn't know how she feels about him, but maybe they can be friends?

"Mr. Bolton and Miss Montez." The teacher calls out and it seems as if everyone's head snaps over to where the two are sitting. It isn't that Mrs. Gribble is boring, it is just that no one likes doing these big assignments right away, but everything in this class is just building up to the annual earth science camping trip. "You two stay where you are. You guys are partners."

"_Has anyone ever told you that you have the prettiest eyes?" Tom asked._

"Mr. Danforth go sit next to Miss McKessie." Kelsi looks to see that Zeke is now standing up with a slight frown as Taylor's shrugging her shoulders.

"_I uh…I've never heard that one before."_

"Mr. Baylor please move next to Mr. Evans."

Kelsi sighs of relief quietly. She at least doesn't have to worry about being his partner.

"_I'm gonna kiss you now." Tom whispered as his nose closed in on hers and he pressed his lips onto hers. _

_Kelsi was shocked to say the least, but yet she wasn't. She somehow saw this coming as she knew that she had been sending Tom mixed signals._

More kids' names are called.

"Mr. Cross," Jason's head picks up, "sit next to Miss Neilson."

Kelsi met Jason's eye as she swears she hears Ryan's scoff. Jason offers her a half smile as she knows that they hang out with the same friends, but the two of them have never really ever talked alone.

_Kelsi pulled back abruptly with wide eyes. "I have to go." She exclaimed._

"Hey lab partner." Jason greets just as the bell goes off.

"I have to go."

* * *

_Troy flicked his hair to the side and than ran his hand through his light brown hair in nerves. But he shouldn't be feeling nervous, should he? _

_He had no reason to be since he just got done with his very first varsity practice even though he was only on the JV team, but he had a feeling that he was going to be moved up. Most of the guys on the team seemed to like him and dismissed the fact that he had only been in high school for a week so far, but that shouldn't matter, just as long as he could play basketball._

_He looked down at his wrist to see that he only had a minute to get to the tree in the front of the school where he was supposed to meet Brie. _

_Troy smiled just thinking about her, and how he was about to do something that he shouldn't be nervous about. She could either say no and that would drastically play a part in whether or not he was going to do good at tomorrows basketball practice due to his mood being in a crappy mood, or she could say yes and save him the embarrassment at practice. If she said yes then he was almost guaranteed a perfect practice since his mood would be shooting through the roof._

_But it wasn't just about basketball. This could possible ruin their one week friendship and the gangs' friendship that was slowly forming as Taylor and Chad had started getting along now. Brie and Chad got along really well now as they had the same carefree personality. Kelsi was mixed in there along with Ryan and Jason. If Brie said no to Troy than their circle of friends could be ripped at the seams._

_He was finally going to ask her out after only knowing her for a week. But he had too. He saw Kent, the freshman soccer captain talking to her earlier in the week and she was laughing. That wasn't a good sign for Troy if she was laughing with some other guy._

_He just had to walk a couple of steps further and turn around the tool shed that he was walking along right now and then he would be in view of the tree and fountain and then he could ask her out, and hopefully she would say yes._

_He looked up from his watch and nearly tripped over his own feet as the blonde haired girl came into view. She flicked her hair out of her eyes and behind her ears as her pink heels sunk a little in the newly watered grass. Her hips shook a little, almost too perfectly to be natural. She had a big smile on her face that Troy tried to mimic, but he just wanted to get to Brie before he chickened out of his plan._

"_Hey Troy." She greeted in a sickly sweet, almost too high pitch of a voice and Troy backed up a little to keep his distance from her. He did not need to be engulfed into another thirty minute discussion about which shade of pink was better like the previous day. _

_She walked closer to him and his back hit the tool shed as he looked around almost desperately to see if Brie was insight. But she wasn't as she was probably sitting on 'their' tree._

_Even though he only knew Sharpay for three days, he knew that she had some crush on him and he had no idea what to do about it. He was a teenage boy. What boy didn't want multiple girls to be in love with him?_

"_Hey Sharpay." He greeted back finally as she giggled at nothing funny._

"_So what'cha up too?" She asked with a big gleaming smile._

_He shrugged as he decided to play it cool. "Nothing much. You know, just got done with basketball practice and I'm kinda tired so on that note, I think I better get going." He tried to side step her, but she moved with him and kept him against the wall._

"_Oh come on. The Superstar is tired?" She mocked and continued talking as Troy trailed off just watching her move her mouth that seemed to never get tired. _

_Although she didn't have brown hair that curled naturally, her blonde hair was still nice looking. Her skin wasn't that natural olive skin tone that glistened in the sun, but her skin didn't look bad either. And although her eyes were lighter than Brie's, they weren't horrible to look at._

_Every guy had to admit, Sharpay Evans was cute, but Gabriella Montez was the natural beauty that rarely came around anymore, and from what Troy had heard in a week of just knowing her, Gabriella was a lot nicer than Sharpay too._

"_Do you want to kiss me too?" And if Troy really concentrated, he could even make Sharpay's voice sound like Brie's too._

"_Yeah…wait, wha--," he never got to finish as Sharpay's lips slammed onto his as his arms went flailing outwards in shock._

_Maybe Brie's lips felt like Sharpay's? It's a shame that Troy would never get to compare._

* * *

What is she doing?! She loves Zeke…but then why did she almost kiss Chad? It isn't right, but yet Taylor can't help but think what would've happened if they weren't interrupted. But that is normal, right? If you know that you're not allowed to be doing something, then that makes you want it more? No matter what the situation, it is still bad.

It has been exactly a week since that night with Chad and the getting the pizza as _friends._ Taylor doesn't care what Chad calls her as she knows that when he used the statement 'as friends,' that isn't how he treats his friends by almost kissing them. She never has seen Chad and Troy play basketball as _friends_ and wind up almost face to face. It just isn't right.

She's walking past the soccer fields as the grass dividing her and the soccer players slants downwards so from their view it looks like she's up on a hill, which she is as the soccer field is in some sort of ditch with bleachers surrounding it and a roof that's slowly closing right now since it's suppose to rain that night.

Taylor spots Gabriella right away as she has just scored a goal against some guys and girls as Taylor knows it's not a scheduled practice and she's just messing around, but she has that dinner tonight with the Evans'.

Taylor shudders just thinking about it as Ryan isn't bad, but just being by Sharpay is enough to cancel out his friendliness and let Sharpay's hatred take over the atmosphere.

She needs someone to talk too. She can't go to Gabriella since she is busy that night, and Kelsi is doing something with Darbus which no one understands, and that pretty much leaves Taylor with no options. All her other friends are mostly guys, or at least the people she feels she's close enough too that she can open up too.

"Tay!" A voice calls out and Taylor shuts her eyes momentarily as her walking stops and she waits for Chad to catch up to her. She rips her eyes open once she feels his presence by her. She hasn't had a one on one conversation with him since the almost kiss, but it was bound to happen sometime. "Hey, you walk pretty fast you know?"

Taylor offers a smile and she has to force Zeke into her mind. But why? She wants the answer of why does she have to chose between Chad and Zeke right now? Why can't her mind just bump Chad out of the way like previous years and let them just be friends as she dates Zeke?

"What's up?" Taylor asks as they start walking again.

"Nothing. Just wondering what's up with you? We haven't really talked in a while, my world is boring now." He jokes as Taylor lets out a nervous chuckle. Is she allowed to laugh now? Is that being counted as flirting?

The air is awkward as they round the corner of the block; emerging on the west side of their school.

"I don't know if that's the best idea." She states; the hurt in her voice is too much to stop from leaking out as she's not only losing the person who she almost kissed, but also a best friend.

"What?" He asks clearly confused.

Taylor sighs while glancing over at him and then straight ahead again. What if they talked it out, and he agreed to keep his distance? Then they can remain friends, and Zeke will never have to know?

"What's up Tay?" He asks in a demand.

Where is Kelsi and Gabi when you need them?

"What if you're stuck between cookie dough that is a new exciting flavor, and mint ice cream that you eat everyday?" She decided to take the problem in a different approach.

"I personally like chocolate sprinkled, but I guess cookie dough is good?" Chad more like asks as Taylor thanks god that he didn't catch on to what the ice cream flavors really represent, but hey, she has to get someone's advice and if Gabi and Kelsi aren't around, then who was she to try to solve it by herself?

Taylor sighs, "But mint would melt if you don't brea--eat it." Taylor corrects quickly as Chad doesn't show signs of catching her almost slip up.

Chad shrugs, "Then get someone else to eat it with you." This is no help.

They turn another corner and end up right in front of Taylor's building. "So um…thanks for help…with the uh…ice cream decision."

She walks up the stairs quickly as she's back at square one. How can she keep being Chad's best friend if they might end up kissing again? But if Chad seems like he's forgotten about it, and put it behind him since he didn't say anything about it, maybe she can too?

"Tay!" He shouts out and she freezes before entering the building.

She turns around warily. "Yeah?"

"What ice cream did you decide on?" He asks as he glances down at the ground.

"…vanilla."

* * *

**Author's note--Review and I'll put up the dinner chapter next. It's one of my favorite ones and a lot of you seem like you're waiting for the dinner to happen. If you want to read it, then review quickly. Thanks.**


	11. Too Bad

_It's too bad, it's stupid,  
Too late, so wrong, so long  
It's too bad we had no time to rewind  
Let's walk, let's talk  
_Too Bad--Nickelback

* * *

"So…," Jason's voice can be heard through Gabriella's closet door while she's getting dressed in a navy blue dress that has spaghetti straps and flows out to her knees, "where are you guys going for dinner?"

Gabriella is reaching around her back to zipper up the dress, but can only get it so far up before she can't reach it and she lets out an exasperated groan.

"At the last minute they canceled the Italian plans and decided to rent us two limos to bring us to the restaurant in the hotel they're staying at." Gabriella explains as she steps out of the closet and Jason looks up from the bed he is laying on with his video camera in his hands.

He looks at her distraught figure and offers a sympathetic smile while putting away his camera that he was just using to mess around with. "Need help?"

Gabriella smiles at him, "Please and thank you." She turns around. "Can you zip me up?"

He stands behind her as she looks into the full length mirror in front of them and hears the 'zip' of her dress while Jason keeps his two hands on top of her small shoulders.

"This is the dress you wore on our first date." He points out softly.

"And you remember?" She asks clearly shocked.

"I remember more than you give me credit for." He counters back with a lazy smile. "Excited about dinner tonight? I think this whole school would pay money to see how this night is gonna go."

Gabriella rolls her eyes. "Great." She can't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "That's all I need. More people talking about me. They still can't get over last year." The bitterness shows in her tone more than ever.

"So how is that going? You know," Jason locks eyes with Gabriella through the mirror, "the therapy? When's your next meeting?"

Gabriella's small shoulders go up and down in a shrug. "My mom talked to Dr. Cambell when she registered me and she wants me to go once a week, but I kind of skipped out this week." She admits knowing that she is gong to get an ear full from him.

She waits patiently for him to scold her as he has been a lot more stricter with her when it comes to these types of things as she had been going over the summer twice a week with a different doctor since Dr. Cambell is the school's therapist.

But the scolding doesn't come.

"Jase?" She asks quietly. "Say something."

"Why?" He asks. "Why did you skip? You're still taking your anxiety pills, right?"

"They numb me. I don't think I'd be able to stop taking them. I mean, I'm still jumpy at times, but they're working. I don't feel as much as I should though." Gabriella pauses thinking of her words. "But I guess that's the pills' job, to keep me from feeling trapped and jumpy."

Jason smiles at her and he walks away from her; only to plop himself down onto her bed again. "You're gonna get through this Gabi, but in the mean time, you can help me find a girlfriend." Jason grins.

She rolls her eyes, "Which click haven't you dated?"

"Ha ha Montez, make fun all you want, but you haven't dated in a while also." He reminds her even though they both know he won't let anyone near her again unless he meets them first.

"Don't get me wrong; I think it's healthy that you're finally starting to date again. I was starting to get a little worried that you were spending too much time with me." She admits and the atmosphere changes drastically to joking around to being totally serious.

She looks up once he doesn't say anything for a while. "Not that that's a bad thing, but it's good that you're branching out again."

He forces a smile. "I think we're all just getting used to how things are again. Things are starting to blow over from the past year and it's good. I guess it's just taking me longer from spending every minute with you to dating again. I don't have to always watch our backs now."

"But that's what we wanted, right? It's a good sign that you're starting to date again, and don't think that my feelings are being hurt because we spent seven months trying to date, and remember how that turned out?" Gabriella tries to lighten the mood as it works once she sees Jason's face smiling again.

"Yeah, we had some huge arguments. So…who should I go after next?" He asks, leaning back on her pillow.

Gabriella starts putting on her jewelry knowing she only has five minutes before Ryan will come. "There's one person who comes to mind."

"Yeah?"

"You already dated a cheerleader, dancer, artist which has been your best choice so far," Gabriella refers to herself, "jock, science wiz, so," she draws out the word, "what about a composer?"

"Composer?" He mulls over the idea. "What composer?"

"Kelsi Neilson." Gabriella states not even thinking of the consequences that will entail Ryan, Kelsi, and Jason.

"Kelsi? Really? Doesn't she already have a boyfriend?" Jason asks clearly puzzled.

Gabriella looks at him after she slides on her shoes. "You remember your friend, Ryan; who's also your roommate for three years so far?" Gabriella mocks.

Jason rolls his eyes. "Yes Gabi, I think I know who my friends are."

"They were dating all of last year, so maybe Kelsi isn't such a good idea. But she is nice, sweet, caring, and if I do say so, pretty. But no, now that I think of it, dating her would be a big no-no in the guy code."

Jason sits up, "No, you're right. She is all of those things. Do you think I would have a shot?"

Gabriella's eyes go wide. "Weren't you just listening to me? She was dating Ryan. RYAN! Your roommate and friend for three years! It didn't end good and I think he might still have a thing for her."

Jason stands up as a knock can be heard on the door. "Relax. I'm just gonna get to know her a little bit more. If she doesn't like him then I'm not breaking any rules…hopefully."

"I'm warning you. Be careful." Gabriella hisses before she opens the door and greeting Ryan.

* * *

_He didn't understand it, but something just wasn't right. He had been feeling it ever since the beginning of the school year, and ever since 'the break up' that everyone had been informed of in January; Troy had been even more alert._

_He didn't mean to be, even though it was a good idea to be, but it seemed the harder he tried to stop thinking about Brie and Mr. Johnson, the more he could picture something was wrong in his mind._

_It wouldn't be so bad if they were just having an off limit relationship because then Troy would know that Brie was at least safe, but if not and Brie didn't know about Mr. Johnson who always seemed to be around her at soccer games, practices, outside, and the library then this situation could possible turn into something dangerous._

_But Troy wasn't going to jump to conclusions, or at least that is what he hoped as jumping to conclusions would've been asking her about it right away into the school year, but now that Jason is out of the picture and she didn't have a boyfriend to help her, anything could happen. And it seemed to him that he was the only one noticing this as he couldn't talk to Taylor, Zeke, or even Chad about it because they all adored Mr. Johnson, and he certainly couldn't go to Jason since the last he heard, Brie and him haven't talked hardly since January and their break up._

_A familiar brunette caught his eyes as he swung his leg over the tree branch and shot up from his straddling position on the lower branch to only jog to catch up with Brie who seemed to be walking on the path leading to the teachers' condos._

_"Brie!" He shouted to get her attention which worked since she stopped in her place and turned around with a big smile on her face. "What's up?"_

_They started to walk slowly now; still towards the teachers' condos. "Nothing much. Just have a meeting with Mr. Johnson. I think it's about the homework I'm gonna be missing tomorrow since my plane is earlier than your guys'." Gabriella explained as Troy held his breath and they stopped walking once they reached the end of the trail and now all Gabriella had to do was walk across the grass, twenty feet or so and she'd be consumed into Mr. Johnson's condo._

_"I can't wait to go back home." Gabriella told him._

_Troy smiled at her, or at least hoped that it looked like a smile. "Maybe you're so happy because everyone else is stuck at school for one more day while you get to leave tomorrow morning?" Troy joked._

_Gabriella smiled sheepishly at him. "Maybe…so what's up? I kind of have to get to the meeting…" She purposely trailed her voice off while nodding towards the condo Troy narrowed his eyes too._

_Did her voice sound too eager? That only meant one thing; maybe they did have a thing going on? That was seriously bad; especially with the way Mr. Johnson is._

_"Are you sleeping with Mr. Johnson?" Troy blurted out as Gabriella's eyes bugged out, but Troy didn't notice as he kept rambling; trying to work through what his mind was thinking about. "I mean, please tell me you are because if not then you are probably gonna be in trouble. With the way he's always looking at you and talking to you, there's only one explanation: you two have a thing going on or else he's just stalking you. So maybe that is two things that could possible be up, but please just tell me that you're sleeping with him."_

_Gabriella's mouth was wide open in shock and horror. "Where the hell do you get off with telling me that I'm sleeping with a teacher?!" She exclaimed so loud that Troy had to look around to make sure no one was watching them, but no one else was around since it was in the low forties and getting colder by the minutes._

_"Brie I--" He wasn't relieved to hear that she didn't sound like she was sleeping with him; which meant only one thing now: he was stalking her._

_"Don't Brie me. Mr. Johnson is a nice teacher who actually cares about the students here at this school. Everyone is right, you're just jealous that he doesn't bow down to you like the "God" you claim to be out on the basketball court!"_

_Troy narrowed his eyes. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "I was just seeing what was up! But whatever, don't believe me." He snarled._

_Gabriella rolled her eyes and put on a sickly sweet fake smile. "Oh yes, let me thank you for warning me that our teacher might be a stalker." Her sarcasm could be heard from miles away. "Are you also here to warm me that Santa Claus might come down my chimney tonight? Or wait, I know, Leprechauns are gonna leave gold in my room while I sleep!"_

_Troy rolled his eyes. "Real mature. But whatever, I hope he fucks you because I tried to warn you."_

_"I have to go." Gabriella hissed as she walked swiftly away from him and all Troy could do was stare as the door seemed to open before Gabriella could even knock. Gabriella turned around one time to look at him before walking in and he turned his back on her. He walked on the path back towards his building, but stopped._

_He sighed as he reached the tree he was just sitting at a couple of minutes before, and sat down again with his eyes never leaving the darkened condos._

_At least he could wait for her without giving up hope yet._

* * *

"So I hope you eat meat. With all these vegetarians around here I always have to double check, but it must've just slipped my mind tonight. Are you okay dear?" Mrs. Evans asks Gabriella as she is sitting down at the table across from Sharpay while Mrs. Evans and Mr. Evans both sit at the head of the table, and Troy and Ryan are in between the girls and Mr. Evans.

Troy looks down at his salad hesitantly as he had been doing that all night so far within the hour they've been to dinner so far. The Evans' seemed to be working in shifts as at times they would go from completely ignoring Troy to ten minutes later they would be giving him the third degree. She feels bad for him, but has to fight to keep the smirk off of her face seeing Sharpay grip his hand as tight as possible while her hand is pure white.

"I eat meat Mrs. Evans." Gabriella responds quietly. This dinner has been one of the first outings that she's receiving almost all the attention.

"And you Troy?" Mrs. Evens face looks at him pointedly.

Troy shuffles in his seat quickly to show that he's paying attention and fixes his posture from slouching to stick straight. "I eat meat too. Thank you for asking Mrs. Evans."

Gabriella keeps herself from rolling her eyes at hearing him trying to suck up. It is almost pathetic as he always seemed to want to impress Sharpay's parents.

Silence falls over the table and Gabriella knows it's not good. She watches the silent exchange between Mr. and Mrs. Evans. They both looked up and their brown eyes met and if Gabriella is correct then she swears she saw Mrs. Evans nod a little, but no one else seems to notice.

Gabriella looks at Ryan and he's silently eating his salad, and then turns to look at Sharpay who's also eating little pieces of her salad. It seems to Gabriella that this family has everything worked out. The kids don't talk unless spoken too, the parents silently communicating to each other, and the guests not knowing what to do.

"Dear, how's your mom doing? I feel so bad that I haven't spoken to her since the funer," Gabriella wishes she doesn't continue as her wish is granted and Ryan shoots his mom a warning look. She clears her throat, "Since you know…last year."

Gabriella tries not to sink lower in her seat. "She's um…you know, being mom. She's doing good actually." The hurt is laced into her voice.

"And you?" She asks; clearly not getting that Gabriella is uncomfortable with this conversation turner.

"Mom, you know Troy made the varsity basketball team again?" Ryan interrupted as Gabriella sent him a thank-you glance while Sharpay shot them daggers knowing he knows that if he purposely mentions Troy then the conversation is automatically going to revolve around him and drilling him with absurd questions.

"You any good?" Mr. Evans finally speaks up.

"I'm descent."

"He's more than descent daddy." Sharpay chimes in with a whiney sweet voice. "He's the star of the team and school. But he can also draw. He's like a real artist or something."

Mr. Evans let out a form of a grunt while Mrs. Evans clapped her hands together in an exciting manner; still stuck on the previous discussion.

"I know, I'll just get Anna's phone number from you dear and I can call her tomorrow morning. Maybe we can have tea!"

Gabriella sunk lower in her chair as her and Troy have no where to escape as the two different conversations revolved around them. Ryan trying to change his mother's mind about her, and Sharpay bragging about Troy.

"He was voted MVP all of last season daddy."

"Mom, did you know that Gabriella plays soccer?"

"He led our school to state champs all three years daddy."

"Really, it was no big deal." Troy adds in a lazy attempt since whatever he says lately, they just dismiss impatiently.

"Hey mom, did you know that I am catholic as of two months ago?"

"Dear, do you happen to have your cell phone right now? Swapping numbers only takes a second."

"He draws almost as much as he plays basketball daddy. He's so dedicated, just like me. We go together like pink and glitter."

* * *

"So Troy, I've heard all about your extra activities, but what about school? What do you plan to do?" Mr. Evans asks as they're only on course number three of the evening.

Troy stops chewing and swallows as quietly as possible. He clears his throat nervously, "I'm doing okay for school."

"Okay is not great. Okay is not even close to being good. Please explain to me what 'okay' means in teenager."

Troy's eyes catch Gabriella's momentarily as it is normal for the outsiders of any family to share some kind of small bond of not really fitting in as the families would usually have their inside jokes, make weird conversations, but with the Evans' it is not like that. Their family bonding is silence.

"Um…what I meant to say is I maintain a B average and I'm hoping to get some scouts interested in me for college ball."

Mr. Evens stares at him for a moment longer, deciphering something, but bites his tongue surprisingly while they all go back to eating in silence.

* * *

"So, how is everyone's meal?" Mrs. Evans asks as they are on the fifth course and Gabriella thinks she's going to end up puking everything up from eating too much.

She looks around and notices that everyone is avoiding everyone's eye contact.

"It's good mom." Ryan answers for mostly everyone's opinion.

"So Gabriella, tell me what colleges you're looking into for next year. Graduation is right around the corner you know." Mr. Evans informs her as if she is brain dead and doesn't know that pretty soon they all will be leaving and spreading out around the country.

"To be honest," she looks down and pokes at the potatoes on her plate which are surrounding the steak, "I um…still need to discuss it with my mother. But I'm thinking about maybe majoring in art or something and I like it here in Massachusetts, so I'm sort of looking into Amherst University."

Troy can't understand how Brie is blowing them away with her answers. It's not like they differ much from his and he even tries to make eye contact with them, what did she have that he doesn't?

It's not like Brie isn't a likeable person; because she is, but it just doesn't make since to Troy. But yet, he can't help but admire silently her answer to where she wants to go in life through school.

"That's in western Massachusetts right, northwest of us?" Mr. Evans asks.

Gabriella nods, "Yeah."

"So we've heard about Troy's dreams of being a basketball player, we know Gabriella is going to be an artist, but what about you son? Sharpay?" Mr. Evans looks at both of his kids.

"Julliard for dance." Ryan answers automatically like he has rehearsed it or had to repeat it hundreds of times to his parents.

"That's acceptable. We've always known that you like dancing." Mrs. Evans spoke up for the first time in a while now.

"What about you Shar?"

Sharpay glances at Troy as if he will swoop down and save her from the questioning and Gabriella finds this strange since for the three years she has known Sharpay, she had heard nothing but Emerson University come out of her mouth. Gabriella is almost thankful that Sharpay is hesitant about it; she doesn't know if that's a good thing or not though because on one hand it can be good since they won't be in the same state, but on the other then Sharpay might be with Troy and Gabriella still doesn't know how she feels about that.

"Well….I might've had a change of plans." She murmurs quietly while looking down.

"And the drama comes now." Ryan whispers to Gabriella as she turns to look at everyone at the table now.

Before either one of the parents can say something, the waiters come and clear the food and plates in front of them even though Gabriella still has over half of her meal on her plate. No one says anything as the next course comes; leading up to the desert, the final course.

Gabriella looks around as no one says anything once the last plate is set down. The fighting is about to begin…

* * *

"I can't believe that you two broke up!" Mrs. Evans gasps in surprise as Gabriella and Troy share a worried look. "She is such a nice young lady. How could you not have told us?"

Ryan shuffles in his seat while it seems to Gabriella that everyone is ignoring the sixth course set out in front of them.

"It happened over the summer. The only time we saw each other was on the yacht and even then we hardly were ever on the same side of the ship. It doesn't matter anymore anyways."

"I should've known that's why you brought Gabriella along with you tonight." She turns to look at Gabriella with a small smile. "Not that we don't love you dear, but," she turns to look at Ryan again, "what if we invited her to some event? Then things would've been awkward."

Ryan rolls his eyes as Gabriella sees that Sharpay has a glint in her eyes, as if she is enjoying this. "Like what event? Some event that only you two know of and then you corner her and she's forced to tell you that she cheated?" Ryan asks sarcastically and instantly tenses up as Gabriella knows that he didn't mean to say that out loud.

"Oh." Mrs. Evans stiffens in her seat also. "I didn't know. Gabriella would you like more to eat?" She changes the subject.

* * *

"Honey, calm down. Don't make a scene." Mrs. Evans scolds.

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms as they are waiting for the dessert to be brought out.

It feels like all the kids' heads are moving back and forth like a ping pong observer. The two adults keep going back and forth.

"How can I calm down when our daughter wants to follow this _boy_," he spat, "to a different college other than her dream school?!"

"I agree. That is a problem, but we can discuss it some other place. A place when we're not in public." She stresses as she leans in a little so her husband doesn't have to exclaim anymore things.

"We need to discuss it now. She's not allowed to follow this _boy_ to whatever school of his choice. Evans do NOT follow other people like dogs!"

"Vance, please contain yourself. She's going to go to Emerson just like she has always wanted. Now eat your cake." Mrs. Evans instructs right as the waiters come hesitantly and puts the very last course out in front of them.

"Mom I--" Sharpay starts.

"Eat your cake." She instructs again with gritted teeth; straining to control herself also.

"Maybe you should--"

"_EAT_ your cake Ryan."

"Mrs. Evans, that necklace is very, _very_ beautiful." Troy charms in a lower and huskier voice than normal. Gabriella kinks an eye brow in his direction as Troy is smirking back at her. What is he playing at?

"EAT YOUR--," she looks down at her pearls, "oh, thank you Troy."

* * *

They are halfway done with the cake and Gabriella has had it up to her head with all these little problems floating around her having to due with the Evans family. All together in the big picture, they are a nice family, but when you're having a three hour dinner with them; that's where everything goes wrong.

She doesn't know how Sharpay can just sit there and do nothing. Maybe it's because Sharpay's secretly hoping that if she, herself, stays on her father's good side, then maybe he will drop the college thing. Or maybe she's just too tired to stand up to her father for him.

And that's another thing: why isn't Troy standing up for himself? He is just speaking in a tense, waiting to yell voice, but he isn't yelling, yet. Why isn't he? He has every right to be, and even though Gabriella isn't one to disobey her elders, but Mr. Evans is grilling him about things Gabriella considers personal. Why isn't Troy sticking up for himself?

"And while your father is running this so called 'company', he's just letting you play ball?" Mr. Evan's voice holds skepticism.

"He's working on introducing me into the company if my plans don't work out." Troy replies back hoarsely. His defenses are running short as he's almost just too tired to fight back with him. But even so, Troy prefers Mr. Evans over his dad, Jack Bolton any day when it comes to the whole talking of the future business.

Mr. Evans huffs, "And it's a good business?"

"As far as I know; it's gotten me here, hasn't it." He states more than questions and Gabriella is starting to get the feeling that Jack and Vance did not get along somewhere along the line and that's why Mr. Evans is skeptical about Troy's dad's business.

"You know," Mr. Evans picks at the cake in front of him as they have all been just picking at their cake for a whole half an hour. Gabriella is just lucky that there's no classes the next day, "there's something that's been on my mind ever since I've met you Troy. Why are you taking art when you should be in business classes?"

Troy froze at this. If there is one thing about Troy that almost everyone knows, it is: he hates when other people judge him and the things he does. He always has a reason for doing the things he does. Granted, that rule always applies with the rational things; unlike when he's with Chad and they wind up getting detentions. He may not be thinking clearly then and always have a legitimate reason, but when it came to important things to him like art, he always has a reason, and he hates when people try to pry information from him.

"If you're going to have a planned successful career in business, shouldn't' you be taking classes now instead of waiting for a year to pass?" He continues and Gabriella shuts her eyes briefly; realizing that this conversation will turn bad any moment.

Troy grits his teeth behind his thin lips that are just dying to part so he can let out a strangled yell. He grips his fork tightly; until his fists are white and reminds himself that he can go to jail for stabbing this man. Plus, he is Sharpay's father who he is supposed to respect since he is dating his daughter.

Gabriella looks around and sees that Mrs. Evans is looking down; lying to herself that she still has control over her husbands questioning. Ryan is glancing up at the ceiling and then down to his clean plate; playing idly with his thumb. Sharpay is glaring at the glass of water in front of her and Gabriella can't believe that she's not saying anything to calm this situation.

"_Sir,_ my fall back is going into business after high school if I'm not getting any attention from the basketball scouts. And to be truly honest, I don't know if I even want to play basketball. Maybe I want to travel to places and produce art? Granted, I'm not gifted in the photography section of art like Brie," he doesn't even realize he let his nickname for Gabriella slip out, "but need I remind you that I'm being modest right now: I can draw. I see things and I make other things from it. If basketball doesn't work out then I might even travel the world, and you'll hear about me on the news. And if my other dreams don't work out, THEN, and only THEN you will see me in an office on the top floor with a huge view of the city."

Gabriella is speechless as she wonders how he stated so much of his feelings in such a soft, murmured tone when others could say the same thing he did and sound like bastards.

She looks at him as if seeing him for the first time again. She never knew that he might want to travel the world like she does. And even if he only said that because she told him about it days ago, it still reached Gabriella deep down, and put a sense of admiration towards Troy in her body.

Mr. Evans narrows his eyes. "Do you know what happens to athletes once they get hurt? The team drops them and they become has-beens. And artists, name one that can truly capture anything brilliant about our world today."

Gabriella sees Troy trying to rack his mind for an answer to these insane questions. It is all in his usual cerulean eyes, that are now a midnight blue due to concentration, that tells Gabriella that he is struggling to produce something smart to say and to shut Mr. Evans up.

Truth be told, Gabriella always somewhat respected Mr. Evans before this whole dinner thing was proposed, but that's the thing. RESPECTED. Past tense, and now just seeing him act this way towards Troy is enough to make her open her mouth; especially since Troy's girlfriend isn't doing anything to stand up towards her father.

The only reason that is keeping Gabriella glued to her spot in the obnoxiously perfect five star hotel restaurant instead of pouring her glass of water on Mr. Evans is the fact that her dad used to be college roommates with him.

"Mr. Evans." Gabriella cut in abruptly as it seems to her that everyone turns to look at her.

"Gabriella, can it wait until after this conversation?" He asks in a strained voice.

"My _dad_," she stresses, and if anyone wasn't paying attention before at the table, they sure are now as this is one of the first times that she has mentioned him willingly, "once told me that I could be this amazing soccer player. And do you know what soccer players are? They're athletes. My dad was someone who started from scratch to create this business that no one believed in. He did everything by himself and earned his first million by the age of thirty. He was a photographer, an artist, and I personally don't see anything wrong with that." She hardens her eyes while closing her mouth tightly before opening it again. "Do you?"

"Gabriella, maybe you misinterpreted what Vance was telling Troy." Mrs. Evans suggests to try to calm things over.

"Yes Gabriella," he insists, "I was only telling him that it's more practical to take over his dad's business. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was attacking you with my comments. Of course I would never insult Carlos."

Gabriella looks around warily. She feels extremely tired now and just wants to go to bed and forget about this God awful dinner that Ryan dragged her to, promising her that there would be drama that didn't include her. Although Gabriella practically threw herself into the conversation, she can't go back now.

"I think it's time that we should go Ryan." Gabriella completely ignores Mr. Evans now. "I have an early five o'clock soccer practice and I'm getting tired."

"Of course." He stands up and gives Gabriella his hand to help her stand also. "Bye mom," he throws his dad a quick glare, "dad."

Gabriella looks around unsurely while grabbing her purse. "Thanks for dinner Mrs. Evans," she too looks warily at Mr. Evans, "Mr. Evans."

"Maybe we should go too Shar?" Troy suggests while standing up and not waiting for her to reply.

Gabriella and Ryan stop walking away as they're caught in between empty tables seeing as it is late and everyone is either at different places in the hotel or at the bar this time of night. Gabriella suspects Ryan just wants to wait to see if his sister is coming or not.

Blue meets brown and Troy gives Gabriella a quick 'thank-you' smile.

"I'll talk to you later honey." Mrs. Evans says while standing up and the two women share a hug.

"Bye daddy." Sharpay supplies and Gabriella keeps her mouth from falling open. How can she still be nice to that man who treats her boyfriend like that?

Troy has his hand on the small of Sharpay's back while leading her away and towards them. Gabriella by now is thankful that Sharpay hasn't said two words to her.

Troy stops suddenly while they all look at him with curious eyes. "Mr. Evans?" Troy calls while taking a few steps closer to the table, separating him from the group of teenagers waiting to go.

"Yes Troy?" He asks suspiciously.

"Gabriella Montez." Troy states with confidence and everyone is showing confusion now.

"I'm not sure I quite follow you young man."

"Gabriella Montez." He states again with even more confidence. "You said not even twenty minutes ago to name an artist who can truly capture something amazing." Troy looks behind him and his blue sincere eyes catch onto Gabriella's chocolate ones. "My answer for you is simple: Gabriella Montez."

He turns back around and Gabriella is sure Sharpay is about to blow a gasket, but it doesn't matter since Gabriella is too star-struck to think of anything else. She will definitely have to talk to him later about this.

"Let's go before mom or dad has a heart attack." Ryan ushers while gently nudging Gabriella on the shoulder.

* * *

_Ten minutes after talking to Brie was just enough to make Troy even more suspicious. Maybe it wasn't his place to worry? Maybe it wasn't his place to stick his nose? Maybe he was overreacting?_

_No._

_He's her friend and it was his place. Even if Brie would never talk to him again; he still needed her to be okay._

_He didn't even have enough information to go to the cops with. The police would only have his words against a teachers who is well respected by everyone around their city and school. He was even respected by the girl who Troy would be making a report for, but something wasn't right._

_All of a sudden the first condo's door banged open and Gabriella came rushing out of it, barely shutting the door behind her as she jogged down the steps and over across the grass to the sidewalk, past Troy, and towards her building. Troy saw the pain and terror(?) on her face, and he quickly hopped off of the branch he was sitting on and jogged to catch up with her._

_Even if she was only running past him because she was pissed off at him, she wouldn't be making this big of a deal out of it. Something must've happened._

_"Hey Brie!" Troy called as he reached out and she stopped running automatically once she felt his hand on her arm. "What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing!" She exclaimed too quickly; raising suspicions too much. She cleared her throat, "It's really nothing Troy."_

_He looked at her through deciphering eyes. She looked uncomfortable now, but not terrified or in pain dealing with some type of horror. Plus, she didn't have a reason to lie to him._

_"Why are you so jumpy then?" He asked; the fight they were in just ten minutes before out of their minds._

_She fidgeted in her spot; taking back her arm that he was holding. She took a step back and looked around cautiously. "No reason. Just um…excited for my flight home tomorrow. I have to go pack Troy. I'll see you later."_

_Troy watched her retreat before jogging after her again. Something wasn't right, but then again he had been feeling this for the past couple of months and nothing else had changed. "Hey," he reached out and she stopped again, but didn't face him._

_"What Troy? I have to go pack and it's already getting late, and my flight is early tomorrow and you have class and I'm just really tired." Gabriella rambled and she couldn't stop._

_"Just breathe for a second. I don't know how you could've just said all of that in one breath." Troy smiled at her; his flashing, charming smile that he used to sway people. "I just…are you okay? You know you can tell me anything, right?"_

_Gabriella blew out air as she pulled her arm away from Troy's grasp again. "…I know." She started walking off again and away from him as he would just have to deal with this problem when she returned from her Spring Break and he was rejuvenated while he spent time back at home with his family and kids he grew up with in the neighborhood. The last thing he heard was something that puzzled him even more, "…Maybe that's what's wrong."_

**Author's note--so originally this was two chapters, but I decided to be extra nice and combine them into one. Tell me what you think and yes, the two flashbacks that are in this chapter is the last conversation Troy and Gabriella have that year and up until the beginning of their senior year and Troy meets Gabriella outside for lunch. AND, there is another flashback that fills in the ten minute gap dealing with Gabriella and Mr. Jonhnson, but that's in another chapter that should be coming up soon. **

**Review please and thank you and I'll post as soon as possible.**

* * *


	12. I'm So Sick

_I will break into your thoughts  
With what's written on my heart  
I will break  
Break_  
I'm So Sick--Flyleaf

* * *

Chad lowers his baseball cap to block out the sun that is beating down on him. He had just come from baseball try-outs and for some unknown reason spent the better half of his day avoiding Zeke as much as possible out on the field.

It has been ten days since the beginning of the school year and so far the only thing he is looking forward to is the play-by-play of what happened the night before with Troy and the Evans.

It would be different if he was still the same freshman who was worrying if he was going to make the team, but by now Chad is practically a shoe in with being the Captain since over the summer he did receive a letter from the coach telling him what expectations he has for the up and coming year with the new team. Plus, it also helps that he was the co-captain last year and now everyone just expects him to be their new captain for the baseball team, and now everyone is calling him their 'Captain' that he is now use to the new title.

He wipes at his brow with the back of his hand while walking back to his room to shower and change for the bright and sunny Saturday. He still has over half the day to do something as all of the teachers are busy with the parents week when it's only mostly just freshmen parents who come up and then the teachers also have their annual _'meeting', _which is actually known as a party, but they don't want to say that to influence bad behavior, but it's held to kick off the new year while leaving little or no supervision for the kids, thinking they secretly have all their bases covered and the kids don't know that there's no one in the building with them, but they really do as it's one of the first things you learn at school.

"Danforth!" A deep voice calls out and Chad immediately recognizes that voice who belongs to the boys varsity soccer captain, Kent Hanson.

Chad stops walking and hears footsteps jogging up beside him. The 17 year old boy meets Chad and they do a series of hand movements only guys knew to be the 'guy shake'. "What's up man?"

"Nothing much, but," Kent runs a hand through his short choppy blondish brown hair. His dark brown, almost black eyes squint in the bright sun shining down on them while his tan skin is brought out by the black t-shirt he is wearing; defining his muscles, "what's happening tonight?"

Chad's face contorts into confusion. "Nothing big."

"Now there is. You want 5 half kegs of beer?" He asks nonchalantly.

Chad nearly gags on air and has to stop walking. This is like Christmas for him. "Seriously?"

"My cuz is looking to get rid of it; something to do with his mom going ballistic and quarantining him or something like that. But all I know is I want to party tonight; the teachers are gonna be across campus; the limo is here with the beer, and I know you're good with this kind of stuff."

"Aren't you? Why not just put it in your room?" Chad asks even though he isn't really complaining. If someone wants to party, why not let them?

"The Head Master is already on my case this year; can't risk being caught or else my ass is gone. You up for the challenge?" Kent tempts while dangling the limo's keys in front of Chad's face.

Chad smirks. "Hell yeah." Anything to get Taylor out of his head; a good night of partying should do the trick and cleanse his mind of all intimate thoughts of her. "Girls dorm at seven; spread the word."

"Knew I could count on you man. I'm out." Kent and Chad share a handshake again and the last thing Chad sees of him is Kent pulling out his cell phone and his fingers moving quickly over the small buttons.

Chad smirks while pocketing the keys knowing that he will have to move fast. Considering it is hot out and the beer probably isn't iced yet, it can only last for so long, and he won't be able to bring it back to the guy's dorm since teachers are already lurking around their dorm thinking something like this is gonna happen.

Plus, the teacher's '_meeting_' is only a football field away from the junior/seniors guys dorm, so it makes perfect since to cross over the actual football field that divides the upper class girls dorm and to have the party there.

Chad knows exactly who he needs to see for this to work out and with his calculations; she and a certain basketball captain should be under a tree while the Ice Princess is in her drama club meeting.

It is going to be simple.

* * *

She said that they are still friends. He remembers clearly that she told him that she would give it time and then she agreed to giving it time so they could be better than before. Maybe that isn't what she wants now?

He knows he was the one who agreed to ending things, but now after he's healed and knows he can trust her again, and then this happens. It isn't fair! He had every right to want to take a break from her. He just thought she would want to get back together with him after he thought through things.

But there she is, sitting on the piano bench in the music room of the drama building; the room which everyone knows is practically her room since no one on campus can play the piano like she can.

And then there's _him_. His supposed roommate, practically skipping around her like some fairy; holding his video camera and taping her! His Kelsi!

Maybe he isn't skipping, but he keeps circling her; distracting her and making her mess up on a piece of music, something he would never do if he was the one who is in Jason's spot.

"So…tell me something about yourself young Composer?" Jason's voice floats through the air in a more huskier, deeper voice than normal and a smirk on his face.

Kelsi sighs with a soft smile on her face and from what Ryan can tell from the doorway with only the door open with less than an inch viewing space, she covers the keys of the piano and Jason takes a seat next to her on the piano bench.

He never meant to eavesdrop as he knows that's bad, but he couldn't help it before. He was just walking to Kelsi's 'room' to ask her something since they are supposed to be getting past the friends stage soon again, but then heard her giggling and stopped short before even making his presence known.

"Jason. We really have to talk about our Earth Science project. Not you video taping me." Kelsi's voice is light; something Ryan longed to hear her speak to him.

"Fine." Jason huffs; pretending to be mad. "But you better promise me later, that we can hook up and continue this little cycle we have going on."

Kelsi giggles again and Ryan feels betrayed for even thinking that they could possible have another relationship again. She told him not even a week ago that they could be friends and she would give their relationship time. Well obviously now, she is just throwing what they had away and moving on with Jason, his roommate.

Nothing was set in stone though, but Ryan doesn't care. It isn't right even if Kelsi isn't his girlfriend anymore. Jason should know that.

Ryan walks away angrily and steps outside into the hot sun that is just boring down. One of the last days of the visible summer before the wind will start picking up and the trees start to change color.

"Evans!" An excited voice calls and he stops while trying to clear his angered face. "You seen Troy or Gabi?" He asks.

"Um…not since breakfast Chad."

"Jason?" Chad asks again and Ryan feels his blood boil.

"No." Ryan lies through gritted teeth.

"Whatever, party tonight. Spread the word. The girls' dorm, bring whatever alcohol you got!" Chad starts back pedaling it like an overexcited kid on Christmas morning. "Remember: spread the word and tell Jason when you see him. He always has the best," Chad looks around to make sure no one is listening and there's not teachers around, "alcohol!"

"Great." Ryan mutters. "It seems like Jason is really the man to follow."

* * *

He found the two that he was looking for.

"Wow, you would think these two are dating." Chad mutters to himself as he's standing a very good distance away from his best friend and his very good friend.

Gabriella is holding a soccer ball while laying on her back; looking up at the sky and soaking up the sun. Troy is leaning against the tree trunk with his sketchpad propped up by his bent legs, and what Chad presumes: drawing Gabriella who's unknowing.

He knows that they have a somewhat understanding friendship which doesn't go over well with Sharpay, but everyone else knows about them hanging out and getting along well. Chad just doesn't understand why Troy is with the Ice Princess when he can be with the Sweet Queen of the school?

Chad walks over to the two and Troy instantly shuts his sketchpad while Chad rolls his eyes; knowing that Troy is seriously too touchy about people seeing his art when he's not done.

Gabriella sits up and leans back on her elbows in a comfortable position.

"From some naïve freshman's view you two could look like you were a couple."

Troy's cheeks flush a little while Gabriella rolls her eyes; hiding the fact that maybe that doesn't sound that bad of an idea.

"Ha Ha Chad. What do you want?" Gabriella gave him a sickly sweet smile that is obviously fake.

"I'm gonna be honest."

"That's a first." Troy mutters under his breath, but Chad pays no attention.

"I need to relax with all this Taylor stuff, and a party is just what we need." He declares.

"We?" Gabriella asks in a deadpan tone.

"You need to relax too Gabi. Hey, maybe we can even relax together. You know, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours?" He offers jokingly as Gabriella doesn't even crack a smile.

"Dude, you're not selling this party idea." Troy states while Chad just rolls his eyes.

"I need your help." He points towards Gabriella who looks surprised.

"What? Why?"

"Do I really have to go over this again?" Chad asks himself in a groan before overcoming this draining process and starts explaining again. "I'll try to put it in simple terms: The teachers are all going to be across the campus from the girls dorm. I have keys to a limo with five half kegs of beer. Plus, I think we can all do good with a nice relaxing evening; especially after the dinner you have yet to explain to me."

Gabriella looks over at Troy tentatively. A party sounds like an okay idea. She can definitely due with a cup or two of something unhealthy for anyone, but she knows she can't get totally drunk because she still has soccer practice tomorrow morning while the guys have practice in the afternoon so they can sleep longer.

Gabriella looks at Chad who has a pleading face on. "Fine." She huffs.

"I knew you'd see it my way, and by the way, the offer still stands about relaxing with me." He adds for his own enjoyment as both Troy and Gabriella glare at him even though he knows that they know that he's just joking around. "Great. Now I need your help Bolton."

"What now?"

"Where are we putting the beer?"

"Not in our room. That's the last thing I need, some teacher getting suspicious and searching our room and then getting me sent home. Do you know how pissed my dad would get?!" Troy exclaims while Gabriella just rolls her eyes.

"Maybe he wouldn't get as pissed if you just managed to stay out of trouble." Chad shoots back.

"You get into more trouble than me!"

"Guys!" Gabriella cuts in. "Go get your empty suitcases, bring them to the limo, load up the kegs, and bring them to the roof of my dorm. In the meantime, I'll go get ice and a couple of coolers and I'll see you up there." Gabriella stands up and starts walking away while she leaves Chad and Troy to just stare at each other in disbelief.

"She makes it sound so simple." Chad says dumbstruck.

Troy rolls his eyes. "That's because it is."

* * *

_The past three days of Sharpay dating Troy, she had become the biggest bitch ever. _

_Gabriella was not one for judging people. She wasn't one for letting her emotions get in the way of how she acted. She wasn't a girl to get in between her boyfriend and the relationship they are starting to create. But why did Sharpay have to date Troy Bolton!_

_The past three days Sharpay had done nothing but go around and brag to everyone how she's dating Troy Bolton. Troy Bolton, the basketball God. Troy Bolton, the artist. Troy Bolton, the hottie on campus._

_It didn't make sense, but this one time Gabriella might be letting her judgment of thinking Troy was going to ask her out a couple of days ago get in the way of her opinion on Sharpay's and Troy's new relationship. Maybe she wasn't being open minded enough? _

_She looked at the white piece of paper in front of her; propped up on the easel. _

_Speak of the devil. Troy came to sit next to her while pulling out his art things from the small athletic bag he carried around sometimes. For the past three days he showed no sign of anything being different. They fooled around in art class, they walked to lunch together, they talked still, and he made an unknown effort of keeping Sharpay out of their conversations._

"_Hey Brie." He greeted her while she glared at the paper in front of her in a mocking way. "I can't believe my parents are coming for parent's weekend." He complained as if he didn't have a girlfriend to complain too._

"_Oh." She said stiffly and he didn't seem to notice._

_He must have missed the little episode Sharpay had in their dorm room the other day about how Gabriella isn't supposed to be alone or much less talk with her boyfriend without another person or else that would be counted as cheating and being the other woman. She also said that Gabriella would be breaking the girl code, even though it was painfully obvious Gabriella and Troy were just friends now since everywhere you seemed to go after classes you would see Sharpay and Troy swapping spit._

"_They want to go for dinner and shit." He still complained. "Want to come with?" He asked abruptly and Gabriella nearly fell out of her chair._

_She swung on the bar stool that she was sitting on to face him. "What? Like meet your parents?"_

_He shrugged as if it was no big deal; which it probably wasn't to him: a 14 year old boy who's introducing a **friend** to his parents. To his boy's mind, it did look like no big deal, even though secretly he wanted to make a good impression for her. _

"_Yeah, why?"_

"_Wouldn't you rather take Sharpay? Your GIRLFRIEND?" Gabriella stressed._

_Troy looked around and over his easel at the object they were supposed to draw for that day as everyone is in a circle around a bowl of fruit. How classic._

"_She's busy with her own parents. You want to come? Food is gonna be great." He tempted._

_Gabriella looked down knowing it would be wrong. But what could happen? After all, they were only friends._

"_I do love food."_

* * *

Troy doesn't know how he started acting like this. He doesn't know what possessed him to follow Chad's "Mission Impossible Plan", but here he is now; spending his lunch time lugging around two heavy suit cases up the four flights of stairs.

Chad should be behind him any minutes now, but it seems like they were stopped by more people than ever before and they even almost got cornered by a teacher, but Chad made him go ahead so he could distract the teacher; figuring that it would be less suspicious if they only saw one boy with two suit cases instead of two.

Troy doesn't technically understand Chad's thinking all the time, but right now it seems to make sense. Plus, he at least gets to spend some more time with Gabriella by themselves without Chad's side remarks.

Troy finally makes it up and finds the gray worn out door that leads to the flat roof as if it was another floor, but without walls and a ceiling. He opens the door carefully and starts pulling the two suit cases with him.

He stops momentarily once he sees the back of Gabriella sitting peacefully on a ledge in the middle of the roof, surrounding an air vent while her dark curls blows softly with the light breeze picking up. Her hand is outstretched before her and it's not until he walks further up and drops the suit cases off by the water coolers already filled with ice that he sees that she's holding an unopen cigarette pack.

"You gonna smoke those or just stare at them?" He asks nonchalantly.

Gabriella's small shoulders go up and down. "They're bad for the health."

"But yet you have them in your hand; deciphering whether or not to open them." He points out.

"They can cause lung cancer."

"People all around the world smoke them."

Gabriella sighs, tired with debating with herself and Troy so she stuffs them away in her front pocket. "I'm just not in the mood."

Troy nods his head as if he agreeing with her. "You know…just don't let the teachers see you and it's not that big of a deal if you smoke."

"And you're an expert at this?" Gabriella asks disbelievingly in a teasing way.

"Every once in a while when I'm feeling stressed, I sometimes go up to my roof and just smoke one. But only from time to time. We don't' need them ruining my chance at basketball." He adds with a smile.

"Believe me. I know. I stopped smoking though over the summer. I can't let that ruin soccer for me." Gabriella states softly.

Troy sits down next to her while nudging her playfully in the shoulder to emit a smile on Gabriella's face. "Now I just go find a quiet place to think whenever I feel stressed or down. It's a lot more healthier than this." She motions down to the little bulge in her front pocket.

"Have you found a quiet place here yet?"

Gabriella looks out and over at the ground below them. "Not yet." She turns to look at Troy and her breath nearly gets caught in her throat while his piercing blue look down at her; a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "But I'll let you know when I find it."

"I'll hold you to that Montez." Troy reassures and then they both nearly jump in shock as they hear Chad's strangled groan.

"Shit." Gabriella curses as they both stand up and look around; seeing nothing unusual and no afro in sight.

"Where the fuck is he?" Troy asks himself more than Gabriella.

"It would really be handy if you two could stop flirting and maybe help me over the ledge. I have no idea how the fuck you did this Bolton!" Chad bellows.

Troy and Gabriella share a look of horror before rushing over to the ledge where there's a ladder and they see Chad holding onto it with only his left hand, his two feet planted firmly on a step, and his right hand dangling downward; dragging him down some due to the firm grasp on the suit case.

"Chad!?" Gabriella shrieks while her voice goes up notches. "You could fall!"

"Thanks for the observation Gabi." He says sarcastically. "Now pull me up."

Troy leans over the edge and grips his left arm and hoisting him up as Gabriella steps back as to not get in the way. The boys slowly, but surely work together to get Chad safely onto the roof.

"Wow, that's a head rush. How'd you do it Bolton?" Chad asks as Troy only sees one suit case compared to the three Chad was pulling around before.

"I used the stairs. Like normal people do."

Chad's face contorts into confusion, and then realization breaks out onto his face. "Oh. I'll do that with the other two, but right now," he walks over to the ice and coolers, "these need ice.

"GABI?!" A girl's voice is heard and Gabriella and Troy both go over to the ledge of the roof to see Taylor and Zeke squinting up and looking at them. "What are you doing on the roof with Troy?!" She stops and her eyes go wide with shock as Gabriella feels Chad come stand next to her also. "And Chad?!" She looks around slowly and then notices the two suit cases down by her. "With…_suitcases_?"

Troy looks at Chad pointedly. "You left them down there; where anybody can take them?! _Real_ smart."

Chad rolls his eyes. "Hey! You two! Instead of asking us questions just haul up those two cases and we'll explain later."

Gabriella can't believe that Zeke and Taylor would actually listen, but they each take a suit case and safely walk up the stairs without having to use the ladder.

"Have I told you that I need to relax?" Chad asks while wiping the sweat on his forehead.

"Unfortunately."

"Yes."

Chad smiles, "It's gonna be a hell of a party."

* * *

**Author's note--So i know it's not the most exciting chapter, but it was really just to set up what's gonna be happening next. I'm quite pleased with the next chapter where things drastically change for a couple or two, or maybe three or maybe everyone. LOL, can you tell i'm excited with how everything's turning out? Review and I'll post the next chapter sooner rather than later. Thanks**


	13. Right Where You Want Me

**Author's note—Take into consideration that all conversations shared with our famous Wildcat Gang are important.**

* * *

_Can't explain it,  
__how you swept me off my feet, unexpectedly.  
__In slow motion,  
__my imagination running trying to keep my body still,  
__I can hardly stand the thrill.  
_Right Where You Want Me—Jesse McCartney

* * *

"Have you ever felt the need to branch out from what you're used too?" Taylor asks as she's still caught up on the whole Chad ordeal. They see each other almost everyday since they're lab partners for their science class. They have to meet every other day for their Spanish project along with every Tuesday night for three hours to get everything done for earth science.

Sure, it seems like a hectic schedule when you counter in tennis, basketball, baseball, and track, but they made due with only one day of the week that they can meet on since Mrs. Gribble insists, although it's a demand, that the partners meet two to four times a week for at least two hours each session.

It just isn't possible. Taylor would have no time for Zeke, and that was a bad thing, right?

Kelsi straightens out her gray tight cotton t-shirt that showed off just how small she is. "Actually, to be honest, I'm starting to get that feeling."

The party that night isn't a major one. Just every junior and senior boy and girl, and their grades aren't actually that big. Maybe fifty in each class so that's only one hundred kids. There really is no reason to dress up as light faded jeans with a shirt that is practically glued to you skin tight is fine enough.

Taylor swivels around on Kelsi's computer chair as Kelsi is one of the lucky ones along with Taylor herself who got a singles room. They are just waiting to hear music and then they will head downstairs to the lobby where everything should be ready thanks to Chad.

"It makes me feel guilty, and I haven't done anything wrong yet." Taylor exclaims with an added frustrated groan.

Kelsi smiles sympathetically while sitting up on her bed and leaning against the headboard. "I know the feeling. But yet, it's a good feeling at the same time."

Her mind goes back to Jason and her earlier in the music room and how he was openly flirting with her and to her surprise; she flirted back. They had spent time together in a group before, but here he is all of a sudden taking an even bigger interest and it is refreshing to her.

Taylor is obviously talking about different guys compared to Kelsi, and Kelsi has a pretty good idea who they are.

"Just tell Chad that you want to be friends." She murmurs and Taylor whips her head up.

"I'm that obvious?"

"Sweetie, it's written across your face."

Taylor moans in frustration again. "But if I'm double guessing my relationship with Zeke for Chad, does that mean that I'm technically cheating?"

Kelsi sighs, "I don't know if you want to hear this."

"I'll listen to whatever you got."

"It's not fair towards Zeke. You should tell him what's on your mind. He's a great guy Tay, BUT Chad is also a great person and they both deserve the best." Kelsi waits for Taylor to say something, but nothing comes out of her mouth. "You need to really think about this."

"You're right. I didn't need to hear that." Taylor stands up. "Let's go. I need a drink."

* * *

"So Chad almost fell off the roof?" Sharpay asks suspiciously.

"Yes." Troy answers while leaning back on her bed and putting his arms under his head for a made-up pillow.

"And that's why you were with Montez? Because Chad almost fell off the roof?" Sharpay asks for what seems like the hundredth time to Troy.

And even though it isn't the complete truth, Troy agrees. "Yes. It was actually quite funny."

Sharpay readjusts something while looking into her mirror. "I suppose it would be funny." She freezes for a second while Troy knows that the party is suppose to start any minute, but he was never on time for anything like this. Why start now? "Do you remember our first date?"

"Of course."

How can he forget? It was the very first date that he ever went on. Although his mind was still on the brunette, his 14 year old self took over, and if a pretty blonde made it clear that she liked you; why not go for it? Although that's what Troy told as a reason.

The real reason that goes deeper than any emotion he's ever felt is that he is just waiting it out. Even though it is wrong to use people; him and Gabriella just never have good timing. Sharpay gave him a safety net.

She isn't nice to others most of the time, but when it comes to the two of them and only just them; she is decent. Every guy has to admit that Sharpay Evans has style, long tan legs, nice hips, and all together nice body. But Troy isn't just in it for the looks; she seems to have passed the phase of worshipping him like every other girl does since he is good at a sport.

But then he is back at Gabriella and him never having the right timing. Sharpay and him have had difficulties in their relationship. Going in the cycle of Sharpay and him getting in a fight, each of them fooling around with some other person, and then making up later when their systems have cooled down.

However, whenever they would be in a middle of the cycle; it seemed to Troy that Gabriella always had a boyfriend at that time. Junior year was pretty much a bust since Gabriella was practically with Jason the whole time, sophomore year wasn't too eventful, and freshman year they didn't have that many problems either.

But he always ended up with Sharpay again; it is a lot easier than dealing with the messy break up stuff that others go through. But deep down, and this is where the real insecurities start, Troy likes having the feeling that he at least has someone there for him, and although he has friends, and plenty of them, there's just something about knowing he has someone who he can call his significant other and is supposed to be able to talk to her about anything.

He doesn't want to be alone, and that's what scares him. What if he dumps Sharpay and asks Gabriella out? But then Gabriella says 'no', and he's left with no one. Trusting Gabriella to say the right answer is suppose to be easy since they are already great friends, but after what happened the year before it is a lot more complicated. Which left Troy with Sharpay as his girlfriend; even though their relationship was more like one step up from friends, but one step lower from lovers.

"Why?" Troy asks with confusion.

Sharpay turns around and shrugs while applying lip gloss. "No reason, just thinking is all."

Just then Troy's phone goes off indicating he just received a text.

"Go ahead and answer it. I have to change again anyways." Sharpay says with a surprisingly lazy smile on her face. "This party is gonna be so much fun."

Troy whips open his phone and a smile overtakes his face.

* * *

"Where are you off too Disappearing Girl?" Taylor asks with a smile on her lips before drawing her first drink to her lips and taking a sip.

Gabriella grabs two bottled beers on the table that someone brought and stuffs them into her athletic bag that holds other things in it also since she isn't particularly planning to stick around that much now.

After helping Chad and Troy with the beer and refilling the ice ever couple of hours; Gabriella in between the three hours of ice refilling decided for some unknown reason to branch out, and go for a walk. She isn't one for walks. They're too slow compared to walking or jogging. She is much better at the later two than walking.

But there had to be an explanation as to why she all of a sudden wanted to branch out and explore the school grounds even more since as she thought about it before; she didn't really see their whole campus yet. Why not go and look at things from a different perspective, and now she found her place. It is perfect.

"Just have some business to attend." Gabriella says cheekily while Taylor laughs at how happy Gabriella seems right now.

"That's good. Just make sure you come back or else I'll have to call out a search party."

"I promise Tay. See you later." Gabriella and her share a half hug since they are both holding something and Gabriella disappears out the doors with a smile on her face.

* * *

He isn't drunk. That much he knows already which is a good thing as he's only on his fourth cup of beer. A little tipsy is a better term to use since he still knows what's going on, all of his senses are working, and he's not vomiting yet.

He looks around as many different people are all mingling; leading down the hallway where some of the girls opened their doors and let just any person wander in to sit down since the lobby's couches and chairs are taken. The music is sounding throughout the first floor, but not to the volume Chad prefers, but it is good enough due to the fact that they're in school. Pizza boxes are scattered around; some untouched, and some with just crusts left in the center; forgotten.

Chad smirks while drawing the red cup up to his lips as his almost black eyes lock onto the group of three people chatting away. Jason, Kelsi, and Taylor.

He looks around and even though in the back of his mind he told himself he only concocted this party to forget about his 'Taylor' problems, but her standing there on the other side of the room while wearing a pair of tight fitting dark blue jeans, and a green strap tank top made the alcohol in him take over.

He walks across the room as normal; alcohol not yet however triggering the clumsiness in him whenever he drank; whether it was just a cup or ten cups of beer.

"Take a walk with me McKessie." He insists instantly; disrupting them although the three of them look neither mad or upset about his presence.

Taylor's grinning her stunning smile; although it's bigger than normal indicating to him that she's had her fair share of drinks already.

Jason and Kelsi just look at each other in amusement while witnessing first hand how a tipsy Taylor and a tipsy Chad talk.

Taylor takes a sip of whatever is in her red cup and nods her head slowly. Zeke hasn't even shown for the party yet, and maybe this might be a good time for them to finally talk about their almost kiss and how they are just going to be friends?

After having two cups of beer and three little shots of something; her mind tells her why not still be with Zeke? They just told each other that they love one another, Zeke treats her right, and she truly does feel something more for him than just friendship; although the same thing can be said about Chad, but other things out-ruled that little piece of fact.

"I'll talk to you guys later." Taylor directs to Kelsi and Jason who in response look at the two of them strangely, but don't say anything. "Lead the way Danforth."

"Certainly." He offers her his arm and she rolls her eyes at his cheesiness, but loops her own through his nonetheless.

They walk pass a certain blonde haired boy who's suppose to give Taylor a message from Zeke, but is too immersed in the two teenagers near the corner of the room; making it slightly obvious to anyone who stares hard enough that there's more than just school conversation taking place now.

* * *

"That was weird." Jason comments as Kelsi nods her head agreeing.

"Tell me about it."

"So…," Jason takes the last sip of his beer before chucking the cup behind him, "since we're science partners and everything; I think we should get to know each other a little bit more."

Kelsi looks around for a second as if she doesn't know if he's talking to her or not, but he has to be since she's his only science partner. This response is brought on due to the fact that as she knows, only Ryan previously has been into her. Why would Jason be all of a sudden liking her more than friends?

"Why?" She asks warily.

Jason smiles at her softly; something clicking in him; making him act like this. For the past couple of years he has dated girls from all different kinds of clicks, shapes, and form; and then all of a sudden Gabriella mentions Kelsi's name once; even though he's known her since freshmen year, and he's all flirty with her.

He likes the flirting. Hell, what guy doesn't when it's with an incredibly looking girl, but it is just a weird feeling to him. A foreign feeling as for barely even a day has gone by of him thinking of Kelsi in a new light, and he's already at a party, watching his alcohol intake, and flirting with her!

This is big for him compared to other girls in the past.

"Because."

Kelsi raises her eye brows in a way that she doesn't even know makes her look even more appealing.

"Well, what do you want to know?" She asks shyly while finishing whatever is left in her red cup.

Jason smiles while a guy passes them carrying a party tray with multiple red cups on it and Jason grabs two as he passes. He hands Kelsi one as he lifts his glass to her and Kelsi giggles lightly.

"I don't know. Like what about…how was your summer?" He doesn't know how many cans of worms that question can possible open, and if Kelsi had consumed too much alcohol before then her whole life story could be leaked, but safely to say she has only had one cup of beer.

"Eventful. You?" She asks quickly while taking a longer sip of her beer than necessary.

Jason chuckles a little as he knows that she purposely changed the subject. "Wasn't half bad. You know--"

"Hey Jason." Two girls came over by them. A blonde and a brunette Kelsi recognizes from the cheerleading squad.

Kelsi doesn't consider herself one of the most popular students at Davidson Academy, but she is well known for soccer and her music. But right now, she just feels like an ant who's not even noticed.

"Hey girls." He greets with a charming smile. He glances at Kelsi from the side of his eye quickly before looking at the two cheerleaders in front of them.

"We're playing a game in Kelly's room. You up for it?" The blonde flashes him her pearly white teeth with a glint in her eye.

He looks at Kelsi again while putting his arm around her shoulders. "Nah. We're in the middle of something."

* * *

"There you are brother!" Sharpay exclaims in a drunken state and an unusual wide grin on her face. "Have you seen Troy?"

She doesn't notice how Ryan is glaring at the two teenagers in the corner still while letting his red cup linger at his mouth.

"Nope."

Sharpay furrows her brow and looks around the room at the random teenagers who are all getting a little tipsy. "He left like half an hour earlier to get ready. Where is he?"

"I don't know." Ryan snaps a little too harshly.

"Jeez, what's your problem? Never mind. I don't care right now. I just want Troy." Sharpay lets out a sigh. "Are you sure you don't know where he is?"

Ryan turns to look at his sister for the first time. "If I did I would've told you five minutes ago so you would stop bothering me."

"You know, I came over here to tell you that I had a fabulous idea for the musical, but whatever. Spend your time at the first party of us being seniors dwelling on the past."

Ryan narrows his eyes on his sister. He doesn't care that she's tipsy and the alcohol might be talking. Who gave her the right to talk to him about his past relationship with Kelsi when she's screwed up plenty of times with Troy?!

"Sharpay." He seethes. "Fuck off."

"They do make a cute couple."

"I don't know who you're talking about." Ryan states coolly; nothing like his normal behavior. Although, sometimes having too much to drink can effect him, or it's just the fact that his old girlfriend who he still loves is moving on from him when she promised that she would give their relationship time?

"If you want something; then go after it." Sharpay hisses before walking away to join her little gang of friends.

* * *

"Hey. I got here as soon as I can. What's up?" Troy asks in all one big breath; still panting from running back to his dorm, past the soccer fields, past the drama building, and to the spot between the cafeteria building and gym which is ironically close to where the teachers are meeting so it's not a big chance getting caught going to the spot she asked him to meet her; there's a big chance of getting caught going back to their dorms.

"I've been waiting. Maybe you should step up your training." She jokes while he just grins cheekily at her and sticks out his tongue. "Oh what are we? Five?"

"What's the big emergency?! I brought my sketchbook and everything." He looks around as she raises her eye brow in a sly way.

The air is quiet. The moon is out fully and is making her skin glow and face shimmer. The buildings close together make a sort of ally that she is standing in with a smirk on her face.

"There is no emergency…is there?" He asks slowly.

"If there was an emergency would I have called you and told you to bring your sketchbook? No. I would've called Jason and told him that I was dying."

"Ha ha Brie." Troy says while her petite shoulders go up and then down in the shadows. "What's really up?"

"Earlier today you said that I was to inform you when I find my new safe haven. Well…I found it." The smile on her face represents a child on Christmas day. "But it's not here. We have to do some walking to get to it. You interested?"

Troy looks around at the eerie atmosphere. No one is around. All the sophomores and freshmen are in their dorms. The juniors and seniors are in the girls dorm. The teachers just in the building over. Why not?

But his girlfriend.

Troy knows this is wrong. Although Sharpay creates a safety net for him to fall on; somehow securing him so that if anything does happen he won't be alone, but even that's not safe anymore since they have each broken each other's trust. What more is there to lose?

Plus, it's not set in stone. If Sharpay wanted to break up with him, then she will break up with him. She's no more of a safety net than Gabriella is. Or Chad.

"Lead the way."

Gabriella grins while flicking on a flashlight. "Follow close."

* * *

Although Gabriella didn't mean literally when saying the two words she's regretting; Troy is sticking to her words literally.

"_Follow close_." Gabriella mutters to herself; under her breath so Troy doesn't hear. "_Yeah right._ More like smother me." She adds sarcastically.

"Did you say something Brie?" Troy whispers as they're walking through this meadow that's in the back of all the school buildings; away from the main roads, or any roads for that matter. Out in the distance you can see mountains and hills illuminating the background. The stars sparkling in the sky.

Gabriella can feel Troy's breath on her neck and it's sending shivers down her body. She grips the flashlight tighter and concentrates on the ground so she doesn't lose her footing on the slippery gravel mixed into the grass and unstable small rocks.

"N-no." She stutters and his hand that's swinging on the side of him bumps into her own swinging arm while she walks.

She can practically hear the grin in his voice. "Are you…_scared_?"

"You know, I don't have to show you this place. If you're just gonna mock me then I'm heading back to the party."

"We can create our own party out here if you want." He can't stop the words from running off his tongue, and they both momentarily freeze for less than a second.

This would be counted as flirting and it is something Gabriella promised herself that she would stop doing with Troy Bolton. It seems like she always has to promise herself things to keep herself from Troy Bolton.

"You wish." She replies and they start walking again.

Troy bites his tongue from letting another stupid comment slip. He keeps walking a fourth of a pace behind her; keeping true to Gabriella's comment while he can smell her scent wavering through the air; carried by a light breeze. It smells breath taking.

"…sorry." He mumbles quietly; not quite sure that she actually heard him.

After that it becomes silent. Neither one wanting to cross the line again. Because God only knows what kind of trouble they could get into out near the cliffs.

* * *

**Author's note--So it would be really great for lots of reviews with this chapter. Maybe exciting events didn't happen, and maybe conversations that don't seem important happened, but they really are important. Later on, and on, and on, and on, this is all building up to the ultimate goal of the true couples coming together. So REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Please and thank you. I really want to STRESS to all of my consistant reviewers how grateful that you guys are. **

**Next chapter is the second part of the party and although this party doesn't seem all partyish and how most parties go; you do have to realize they can get caught at any moment since they are on school grounds. So instead of making this party a full blown party with drinking games, kids getting sick left and right, the music blaring from a mile away, and kids going around in their birthday suits; I decided to keep it reasonable with the conversations to progress the relationships further. **

**If you understand what I'm kind of talking about, it would be really great if you could tell me in a review because I don't want to just be creating this story if no one's even going to bother to understand it.**


	14. I'm Doing Everything For You

_So still I'm gonna do everything,  
__I'm gonna make it right,  
__I'm gonna make it good,  
__I'm gonna do it alright,  
__I'm gonna write it down,  
__I'm gonna make a sound...yeah  
_I'm Doing Everything (For You)--The Rocket Summer

* * *

Kelsi smiles as she passes a few soccer girls who all smile and greet her with 'hey' or 'what's up?'. She looks away from them and scans the crowd for the return of Taylor or Gabriella who she hasn't seen all night. She needs one of them to talk to, or else she will have no idea what she's doing.

She's trying to find some girl who she feels relatively close to so she can share what's going on with her and Jason in hopes that she's doing things right. She needs guidance, and so far as minutes have gone by since Jason left her to take a piss, the exact words Jason used, she has spotted no one. A guy can only pee and walk back with girls and guys trying to stop him for so long. It is inevitable for him to show back up again and then they'll start talking about movies; their last conversation before he left.

"He left you?" A slurred voice asks with hints of amusement.

Kelsi turns around. Her hands rest on the edge of the counter top; the only thing that's separating her and Ryan was a lousy bar that all dorms have so the kids can prepare food on and have work space.

"Hey Ry." Kelsi chooses to ignore Ryan's comment. "I didn't know that you were here." She smiles softly at him; hoping he would buy the lie. The truth is; she just didn't know how to act which is why she needs Taylor or Gabriella to come and help her.

"Funny. I swore you looked at me five minutes ago." His voice is hard.

"Look, I was meaning to come over and talk to you."

He rolls his eyes. He isn't stupid. "You better go back to him. Wouldn't want him getting the wrong ideas." Ryan hisses as Kelsi turns her head and sees Jason entering the lobby and looking around for something; presumably her.

"Look Ry--" She stops talking once she realizes he's not standing by her anymore and she's talking to thin air. She sighs and turns her head to the sides to see if she can spot him anymore, but can't.

"Hey you." A husky voice speaks from behind her. Kelsi turns around and tries to smile for Jason who's holding two more red cups, but she knows it's fake, and she won't be surprised if he knows that it's fake since she never is a good liar. "What's wrong?"

He sets the cups down on the green marble counter top and looks her up and down to make sure she isn't hurt physically.

"I don't uh, really know."

"Well then," he picks up the cups again and gives her one, "we're just gonna have to fix that, aren't we Miss Neilson?"

Kelsi can't help the small smile overtake her face while she let's the cup linger at her mouth. "So what were we talking about before?" She changes the subject.

* * *

"So we've floated around this topic for days now. We have to talk sooner or later." Taylor murmurs into the nighttime air that puts chills on your arms.

By now Chad and Taylor are just walking side by side on the one of many paths their school has. Their arms were long before this disconnected right when they stepped outside and fell into an uncomfortable tipsy silence.

"I'm not avoiding. You're the one who doesn't seem to talk nowadays." Even though he puts it in the bluntest way; you can still hear the slightest trace of hurt in his tone. "So let's talk Miss McKessie. What's new with you?"

"Zeke." She states quietly and you can hear the littlest growl vibrate in Chad's lower throat.

"I think you heard me wrong. I asked what's new with you. Not what's old with you."

"Chad…" Taylor's voice trails off not knowing how to do this, but yet can still picture this little perfect picture in her mind of her and Chad being good friends again while her and Zeke are still together. Simple. Right? "Come on Chad. Be reasonable, please?"

"Fine." He growls. "How is my good friend Zeke?" He asks sarcastically.

"Stop."

"No really. What's he been up to lately? I haven't had the chance to talk to him and be buddy-buddy."

"Okay, I get it. You can stop."

"Seriously though; I can probably call him right now if you want me too. Although you'd have to give me his number first."

"STOP." Taylor snaps, and for once that night Chad listens to her. "Maybe that's too much to ask; for you and him to get along, but we have other things that we have to talk about. We can't just avoid it."

The alcohol is making it's way through his body; although he's still not to the point of being drunk that he wants to reach, but being extremely tipsy is good enough for now. At least until they head inside again.

"Fine then. What is on Taylor McKessie's mind?" Chad asks smugly.

Taylor rolls her eyes while stopping her walking; causing Chad to stop walking, like a domino effect, and stare at him incredulously. "WE ALMOST KISSED! How can you not know that's what I'm TRYING to talk to you about?!"

* * *

"What do you think?" Her quiet voice that hasn't spoken since he's made the 'flirty' comment five minutes ago asks.

Troy opens his mouth to speak while Gabriella flicks off the flashlight. He shuts his mouth not exactly knowing how to react since his eyes have to adjust. He wait's a couple of seconds, leading into a minute before he finally squints his eyes and takes in the scenery before him.

He knows they're standing about ten feet away from a cliff leading down into a canyon. He can hear the soft trickle of a stream at the bottom. His feet shuffle on the dry dirt he's standing on; surrounded behind him and on both sides of him is three feet high grass, creating a meadow. There's a big oak tree providing shade nearly thirty feet away. And a big boulder five feet away from the cliff's edge.

He can see across the small canyon and onto the other side where there's more grass creating a plain and mountains in the background. He knew that there was mountains near his school as the earth science class camped there once a year, and that is something him and Chad have been looking forward to since freshmen year. And when there's no classes traveling there for hiking or camping, which you're not allowed to do by yourself if you're a student, then tourists and families go there for vacation.

"Well?" Gabriella prompts with a surreal look on her face. He turns his attention away from this place as he can't even imagine what it will look like when the sun is shining. He imagines it will be sort of like a dream look. A purple haze, wind gently blowing, the tree creating perfect shade and calming look.

He looks at Gabriella and sees that she's looking at it the same way he is. Like she can't believe this place is real.

"I think I'm gonna have to kill you so I can call this my safe haven." Troy says lightly. "But what's up with the art stuff?" He motions to the small athletic bag that's on his back.

"I left mine in the art room and that's locked right now. And I wanted to draw it right now before I lose my focus. Simpler terms: you're the only one who's not intoxicated who I know takes art seriously." Gabriella smiles cheekily at him.

"You called me here so you can draw at," he looks down at his watch, "eight at night? When there's no light whatsoever so you can't see what you're actually drawing?"

Gabriella shrugs her small shoulders and drops her small athletic soccer bag down on the ground; pulling out a small dark blue hooded sweatshirt.

"Why not? This is the time where you get to draw and fill in whatever color you want." She puts on the sweatshirt that clings to her small body. Troy can't help but stare as she pulls a can of something out of the bag. "Here."

He raises his eye brow at her in questioning. "You planned to bribe me with beer?" He smirks after a couple of seconds of looking down at her disapprovingly. "You know me too well Brie." He snatches the beer out of her hand, but stops before opening it. He suddenly has a better idea.

* * *

Sharpay is standing with her three good friends, Jackie, Emma, and Lea. They're scanning the crowds while noticing that Troy is no where in sight.

"So what was your big idea for the musical?" Emma asks Sharpay quietly from the side of her mouth as everyone knows that those two were the closest friends out of the four.

Sharpay let's her lips stay attached to her red cup before narrowing her eyes on the crowd some more. "It doesn't matter."

"You know, we forgot something." Jackie, the darker skin girl, looks at Lea.

"Yeah." Lea adds. "We um…back in our rooms."

Emma and Sharpay look at their two friends in a little amusement; knowing that that is always their lame excuse to leave their group and branch off with some guys.

"We'll be back."

Jackie and Lea both depart; scurrying out of the room in a fit of giggles. Not long after they leave, two guys walk past Sharpay and Emma; glints in their eyes.

"So what's the deal with you? You and Brad still broken up?" Sharpay asks demandingly as she always wants new gossip.

Emma's natural soft, thin blonde hair falls in front of her ear, framing her tan face; creating a curtain from Sharpay momentarily before she drapes it back again.

"Oh yeah. Him and his perfect grade point average make a better couple than us I guess." Emma says with a bitter tone. "You and Troy?"

"Fabulous." Sharpay's first instinct kicks in and she answers instantaneously. She shouldn't have to second guess it.

"I envy you two." Emma's soft voice whines while she leans back against the light yellow wall of the lobby. "I thought Brad was the one and now he's only concentrating on schoolwork and…," she trails off as her green crystal eyes find a liking to someone who's she's known for almost her whole life. Is it the alcohol that's making her see him in a new light, or is it the new brooding look that he has going on for him, but whatever it is…it's making him look very appealing.

"And?" Sharpay barks.

"And what?" Emma asks while straightening up again.

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "Do I have to repeat everything? And I quote, _I thought Brad was the one and now he's only concentrating on schoolwork and…_And what?"

"And basketball." Emma doesn't miss a beat now. She looks away from her best friend and sees him in a plain white polo and dark blue jeans. A scowl is on his face while he's sitting at the bar; a drink in hand. A brooding face definitely works for him.

"Are you looking at my brother?!"

* * *

"Dude, what's up with you?" Zeke asks while kinking one eye brow at Ryan. Even though he just got to the party after showering from playing a pick up game with some of the guys, he still knows something's wrong with his friend. It is pretty hard to miss when usually Ryan Evans is always in a good mood.

Ryan just nods his head a little and lets out a small grunt.

Zeke follows Ryan's eye line and his face turns sympathetic. "You know, maybe it's good that they're talking? You can move on and start over?"

If looks could kill Zeke would be six feet under due to Ryan's fire breathing eyes. Zeke throws two hands up in the air defending himself as Ryan doesn't even have to say anything for him to realize maybe that's not what Ryan wants to believe also.

"Sorry. Maybe they're just talking about…EARTH SCIENCE! Yeah, earth science. You know how WE too have to talk about earth science. Maybe this is the only time that they can do it?"

"Still." Ryan's voice is low. "I don't like it."

"Come on man. We know Jason. You've known him for three years and you practically live with him." Zeke reasons.

"I also dated Kelsi. And now he's talking to her like they've been best friends since kindergarten."

"Okay. Change of subject: did you tell Tay I would be late? I don't see her here." Zeke looks around, but no one who resembled Taylor catches his eye.

Ryan shrugs. He actually had forgotten the message he was supposed to deliver to her. "Um…I think I might…um…I think she went on a walk." Zeke looks at Ryan suspiciously. "Yeah, that's right. I saw her and Chad walk past me outside."

Zeke breathes a sigh of relief. At least Chad is with her. She will be safe and that means that he can actually start to party; starting with a drink. "Thanks man." Zeke pats Ryan on the back and starts to walk off. "And don't let them get to you. They're probably just talking about science. How much boring can that get?"

Ryan scratches the back of his neck while ripping his eyes away from Kelsi and Jason. Zeke is probably right. They have their first science project due in a couple of weeks and if you get behind in that class then you don't get to go on the camping trip in the middle of November. Nobody wants to miss that.

* * *

"You know," she calls with an eye roll, "this is not what I had in mind. I offered you beer, but instead you come up with something that I have no idea why I agreed to it in the first place."

Gabriella still has no idea why she agreed with Troy when he declined the beer she gave him, and instead is now sitting on top of the boulder, her body turned sideways, and she's leaning back on her hands a bit so they prop her up.

"Just hold still!" Troy instructs her while shining the flashlight on her. "I need to concentrate!"

"You're never going to concentrate if I keep talking. Which by the way, is my plan so you can't finish whatever you're drawing!"

Troy rolls his eyes again while shining the flashlight onto Gabriella's small body. "You know exactly _what _I'm drawing, or shall I say _who _I'm drawing? Just hold still!"

"But why?!" Gabriella whines. This is not exactly what she wanted right now as she doesn't know how comfortable she is with this situation, but figures she must be okay with it if she's actually complying to his wishes reluctantly.

There's a silence and Gabriella looks sideways again and relaxes her body. "Oh?! You're not talking to me now? I get it Troy, but that's just gonna motivate me to keep it up."

Troy's knees are propped up; his notebook situated against his legs as a makeshift easel. His non-controlling arm is holding the flashlight and pointing it downward while his dominate hand, his right hand, is moving swiftly against the paper in front of him. Granted, this isn't going to be one of his best pictures, but it is just a rough draft to go off of when the time comes and he has to turn this freestyle piece of art in for a grade.

Troy can't help the smile that comes over his face when he sees that Gabriella has relaxed and now is just looking out across the canyon, and even though you can only see the midnight blue overlooking the horizon, it's still an amazing sight.

"You know, I'm glad you showed me this place." His voice is soft while his hand continues to move in a practice pattern that took years to perfect, and is still working on becoming more than just an amateur.

"Yeah?" Gabriella doesn't even look at him as it seems to him that she's actually listening to his instructions and staying still.

He studies the side of her face while her eyes glisten with the sparkling stars above her. "Yeah. But I don't get why you did."

"You asked me too. Remember?"

"But you could've just pretended that you didn't find anything. You could've kept me in the dark about this place and then you would have it all to yourself." He points out while he physically stops drawing her on the piece of paper, but keeps his eyes trained onto her.

"That wouldn't of been right. I promised that I would tell you, and so I did. If that means that I'm someone who keeps their word on things, then so be it." She proclaims and turns her head a little with a small smile. "You're not drawing." It's not a question.

Troy blushes a little at being caught just staring at her. She self consciously sits up all the way and wraps her arms around her cold body. She gives Troy a half smile while hopping gently down to the ground.

"Troy, I don't like when people lie to me." She walks over to him and where their stuff is. "I've had one too many people do that to me in the past, and I like to think of myself as someone who isn't a hypocrite." She grabs a pair of black gloves out of her bag before slinging her sports bag over her shoulder again. "And if that means showing you this place to keep my promise? Then so be it." She smiles at him again and he shuts his sketchpad. "Are you ready to head back?"

"...Yeah. I'm done."

He likes to think he memorized everything about her.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Kelsi giggles for no apparent reason while searching under her bed for something, but yet she can't quite remember what. "The party's downstairs."

Jason rolls his eyes jokingly with a big smile on his face that can't possible get any bigger. "_You're _trying to find the movie that you have and I don't, and _I'm _watching you look while relaxing." She whips her head up in confusion; ignoring the little pounding sensation in the back of her mind to see Jason plop down onto her bed and make himself comfortable.

"Why am I doing all the work?" Kelsi whispers while kneeling next to her bed so her head is even with his own.

He leans forward a bit. "Because it's your room."

"Right." She confirms, but doesn't move. She knows she drank too much alcohol, and it's only been two hours since the party started, but Gabriella and Taylor still aren't back yet and she doesn't feel like talking to the other soccer players or drama friends. She wants to believe that it's the alcohol in her system that is persuading her to stay with Jason in her empty bedroom away from people to look for a movie that he has never seen before.

He's racking his mind for something smart to say, but nothing seems right.

_Hey Kelsi, has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful? _That thought just seems played out.

_Hey Kelster! Wanna kiss me?!_ Jason groans internally. The amount of alcohol that he consumed so far into the night is not helping him.

_I really like you. You want to join me in bed and we can do the dirty?_ Jason shuts his eyes and squeezes them before opening them again and being met with bluish green eyes that seem to be sparkling. But it's the alcohol, right?

But yet he can't help but feel like he wants her more than when this night started.

He's never had troubles with girls. He's dated his fair share, but now with her shining eyes staring back at him, it makes him nervous.

He brings his head up a little and off the pillow, and his smoldering eyes look at her own innocent orbs before glancing down at her peach lips; inviting him to taste.

He looks up once more before leaning in some with hesitancy. Damn the alcohol for making him think about the consequences that can follow this.

On one hand he can hurt Ryan. Even though he played it cool all night, he still felt someone glaring at them throughout the hour and a half that they were talking. It turned out halfway through that time, Jason spotted Ryan talking to Zeke about something.

Then if he didn't by some chance hurt Ryan, he can hurt Kelsi and their already kick ass friendship that seems to be forming. Did he really want to jeopardize his already somewhat fun friendship with her? And what if Kelsi didn't want this? She would say something though, right?

Their lips are just a couple of inches away when Kelsi pulls back and blinks a couple of times. Her eyes widening like a deer caught in headlights.

"What are WE doing? You need to go." She shoos while standing up and quickly looking around as if someone is watching them.

"What?" He asks stunned when her hands push him over on the bed and he quickly gets off the bed before she can continue her actions. "Just forget it. Nothing happened."

"Yeah. It's forgotten. See? Easy." She walks around the bed and towards the door to open it. "I think you should go."

He studies her while she sways a little before gripping onto the door to steady herself. "Why? I thought we were going to watch the movie?" He asks stupidly. Why should one little thing that didn't happen ruin their night further along.

Even though Kelsi is borderline drunk and very tipsy, clinging onto the door to support her, and is internally freaking out and cursing Gabriella and Taylor that they aren't there to help her with this problem even though she probably would feel weird going to Gabriella because Gabriella and Jason dated the previous year, but she's not good with this kind of thing.

And even though out of all of that she still has reason left within her and she didn't want their evening to come to this, but somehow it all came back to Ryan. She hasn't forgotten what she told him, and nothing can happen with her and Jason until things are absolutely done with Ryan. That much makes sense in her mind, and there's nothing else to it.

"Please. I'm not asking. Just go." Kelsi opens the door wider and Jason can't do anything else but to walk out.

* * *

"That's what has you so upset?" Chad asks unusually quiet for himself. "That ALMOST kiss?" Chad stresses.

Taylor feels as if she's shrinking while addressing this topic finally. "Yeah. Aren't you?"

Chad sighs while leading her over to an empty bench that's ironically just outside the boys' dorm. He can take that question of being upset in two different ways.

_Aren't you upset that we almost kissed? _

That question has two different viewings. He can take it in as if he should be ashamed that they almost broke Zeke's trust in friendship and relationship bond, or he can take it as just focusing on the 'almost' because that word just doesn't seem right to him. He doesn't like the word because that means that they came halfway; not all the way. If he had his way he would change the 'almost' to 'did'.

"You want the truth?" Chad asks warily; rubbing his forehead as if searching for the right words.

Taylor nods her head confidently. "We've been out here for an hour now. I think it's time we laid our cards out on the table."

He sighs. "If I had my way there would be no _almost kiss_." He spits out the two last words.

"What are you saying?" Taylor asks slowly.

"I thought you are supposed to be the smartest person in our class?!" He asks exasperated.

"I am, but I'm sorry if I'm not used to _almost_ cheating on my boyfriend!" Her sarcasm can be heard from miles away.

"Fine." He huffs before continuing. "If I truly had my way then there would be no _almost kiss _because we _would've_ kissed. We wouldn't of been interrupted!"

"What?" Taylor gasps. She knew Chad had a crush on her last year and the previous years before that, but she thought he got over those up until this week. "I don't believe you."

Chad rolls his eyes and stands up. "I didn't take you to be so dense Tay! You're the smartest person I know! Do I need to spell it out for you?!"

"I've had a long day. A long week to be precise, and I don't need you playing games with me right now Chad! What are you talking about?!" She stands up also while watching him start to take a step closer to her.

"I thought it was pretty obvious three years ago, two years ago, last year, but I guess I was wrong. I've liked you since then. You know, like more than friends?" He points out irritably. "But you've been with Zeke, Kyle, Dillon! I've waited my time. I've been there for you just waiting! But what's the point?"

"The point is that we are friends. I thought that was perfectly clear?"

"Maybe you need to draw the line again because I have no idea where it starts and ends!"

Taylor shuts her eyes momentarily before opening them again. A part of her just wants to shut up and somehow tell him that they can forget everything, but she can't do that. She knows that.

"Chad…we both crossed the line when we almost kissed."

Chad shakes his head. This is too much thinking. He needs another couple of beers to forget everything that happened this night.

But somewhere in his mind tells him to go off of instinct, and right now his instincts were messed up with all the commotion Taylor and him were causing. He always acts on instinct and thinks about the actions later, why not just do that now?

"I don't think we can even be friends until we both take some time to think about things. Let things cool down. I'm gonna go now." Taylor turns and knows that it's going to be hard to do since they have Spanish and Earth Science together, but they will just somehow have to switch out or something.

"Wait." He catches her arm and turns her around before she can even take a step away and pulls her body to his. His lips come crashing down on hers.

Taylor's hands immediately snap up to his shoulders and try to push him away, but soon her attempts become feeble.

After all, Zeke's kisses are all the same, and Chad's--Chad's are different.

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Gabriella asks in a hushed whisper.

They had just made it to the tennis courts which were across the lawn from the boys' dorm. No lights were on as the flashlight battery had ran out since Troy used so much of it for drawing.

"Don't tell me you're getting scared Montez. We're almost there." Troy jokes, but doesn't doubt Gabriella hearing something as he swears he hears something too.

"We would be able to see if someone didn't use all of the batteries up." Gabriella hisses while advancing forward. "Come on. Let's check it out."

Within fifteen or less steps, give or take, Troy and Gabriella stop in their tracks and hold in their shocked faces.

There stood their two best friends in a heated lip lock.

* * *

**Author's note--Well...what can I say? Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad that people are liking this story so far. Now review, review, review. Thanks**


	15. High Life Scenery

_You're got everybody talking  
__You've got everybody going  
__and you've got everybody acting crazy.  
__I'm not gonna say you don't  
__You got everybody listening  
__and you got everybody putting on a show  
__You got everybody acting crazy  
__I'm not gonna say you don't  
__and you got it all wrong.  
_High Life Scenery—The Rocket Summer

* * *

The weekend is a chance to relax and kick back with friends.

You shouldn't have to deal with school work even though you have it and you know you should be doing it.

You shouldn't have to help distract the teachers from coming into the girls' dorm room lobby before people start picking up the mess.

You shouldn't have to spend Sunday, the peaceful day, avoiding people because you ALMOST or DID kiss.

You shouldn't have to be wondering where your girlfriend is since she never came back to the party two nights before.

You shouldn't have to avoid your boyfriend because you messed up BIG time.

You shouldn't have to do a lot of things, but yet, the world is full of things that happen all the time that we don't like.

We just have to adjust.

* * *

"What's up?" Chad asks cheerfully. As if the amusing smile on his face will tick Taylor off more.

He plops down next to her at the breakfast table in the dinging hall as this is where the students who get up early enough get to have breakfast.

Taylor scoots over on her seat; farthest away from Chad as much as possible. She concentrates on her scrambled eggs while pushing them around with her fork.

"Oh? You're giving me the silent treatment now?" He asks although he doesn't sound too mad about that.

Taylor shuts her eyes as if ignoring him is going to help their situation; which can't get any worse now. She had taken it upon herself to avoid Zeke at all costs along with Chad as she didn't know what to do. She didn't exactly know what went wrong as one moment Chad and her were fighting and the next they were kissing. It doesn't make sense to her.

She had a plan. Her plan was to talk to Chad about staying friends and her staying happily with Zeke, and then in one lousy second her plan went out the window and she was swapping spit with Chad.

"That's fine. I just have one question: what did you tell Zeke?"

Taylor whips her eyes open and looks at Chad in alarm. "Shh! Don't speak that loud." She hisses while looking around to see if anyone noticed what they're talking about.

Even though Chad's eyes are dancing with little amusement, his lips are tugging at the corners in an upward motion, and his tone didn't lower, Taylor can still hear the small hurt laced within his tone.

"Oh. You didn't tell him." It isn't a question like it should be. His voice fizzles out until it's barely audible. "Why?"

"Why?! Because nothing happened. Nothing absolutely fucking happened." She knows that he knows she's lying.

The atmosphere around them seems to change around them as they block out the people at nearby tables, their food laid forgotten and untouched, and their feelings seem to have a mind of their own.

"We kissed Chad. _Kissed._ As in past tense. Nothing more." Taylor murmurs softly; looking down at the table and tapping her fingers let's her mind concentrate enough on Chad and the situation they got themselves in, but not submerse herself all the way into declaring her liking for him since she thought she at least knows that she likes Zeke more.

"So you're not gonna tell Zeke?" He asks while he knows that he's done that in the past. He's had short term relationships, but also managed to hook up with a girl at a party. It isn't right, but that's just the way things go.

Taylor sighs. "I'm sorry." She doesn't know what she's apologizing for, but he seems to get it as he nods his head slowly and stands up.

"So am I. Are we still meeting tomorrow for Spanish?" He asks quietly; disappointment seeping through.

"Uh…yeah." She's stunned that he can just go from one conversation to another.

"Hey you two!" A cheery voice greets as Chad tries his hardest not to roll his eyes at the boy in front of him.

Zeke sits down next to Taylor who looks uncomfortable with this. Chad smirks lightly at her; as if tempting her to say something now.

"Hey." Taylor's voice is hardly heard.

"You're like the hardest person to find nowadays. I didn't see you at all yesterday." Zeke proclaims while leaning in to greet her in the morning kiss on the cheek, but to both guys' surprise Taylor turns her head and catches Zeke's mouth with her own.

Chad turns to walk away. A small smile is playing on his lips as it seems like their conversation is over, but with his knowledge and actions, it's long from over. If anything that game's just beginning, and he always wins.

* * *

Kelsi is walking to her next class which is piano in the drama building with Ms. Darbus. It seems to Kelsi, who is a very unfortunate soul is in three of Ms. Darbus' classes. Anyone who finds out that information shows Kelsi sympathy because barely anyone can last one class with the teacher, let alone three.

She looks around cautiously somehow knowing that Jason takes this path to his history class, or to be more precise: AP History class.

She had been avoiding him for the rest of the weekend which was only one day, but it was enough since he had been trying to get into contact with her for their 'Earth Science' project, but Kelsi believes otherwise. She just doesn't see him as being one who is big on the projects this year. Who is? So it must be about something else because what boy wants to just talk about a project?

She picks up her pace while glancing around again. She can see the steps which lead up to the door where her class is confined in. Only thirty more feet and she'd be there.

"KELSI!" A voice rings out that's becoming all too familiar for her. Why can't he just leave her alone for now until she works through whatever is going on with Ryan?

She stops walking knowing she at least owes him an explanation on why nothing can happen right now, but only if the times comes will she tell him. She at least has to talk to Ryan before anything can happen with her and Jason. That much she still only knows, even without the alcohol in her system.

"Finally. I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past day!" Jason exclaims as if that's the longest ever he's had to wait.

Kelsi gives him a lopsided smile. "Sorry. I've been busy."

"Hey, no problem. At least we're talking now." He looks around as if he expects to see someone watching them. Which is half true since for some reason things with him and Ryan seem to be off balance. He's been on the receiving end of some pretty nasty glares, which don't really effect him, but it's weird coming from his friend and roommate. "Um…so about this earth science project; are you free tonight?"

"I think so."

"Great. Let's say six-thirtyish in the library? Unless you want to study in my room?" He offers.

"No!" Kelsi declines quickly and then clears her throat. Maybe he did after all only want to talk about their project? "The library is good. Great actually."

Jason flashes her a smile as if nothing happened between them the previous day and a half ago. But maybe he is regretting it already? Did he not want her like she thought? Where's Taylor and Gabriella when you need them?

"Okay. I have to go. Don't want to be late now, do we?" He asks with a charming voice and Kelsi momentarily forgets Ryan's feelings while glancing down at Jason's lips while he speaks.

"…yeah. Don't want to be late." She mumbles while glancing up at his eyes again and giving him one last half smile and walking away.

There has to be some sort of catch to this. If you almost kiss a guy, kick him out of your room, and avoid him for a whole day, he shouldn't just start a conversation with you about school and not say something about it.

* * *

"Would you say Troy and I are happy?" Sharpay asks while walking with her group of friends consisting of Jackie, Lea, and Emma.

The three girls all look at each other as they fall one step behind Sharpay and all her pink glory and blonde hair.

"What do you mean Shar?" Emma asks with confusion clear in her voice.

"Do we look like we, 'you know', a lot?" The awkwardness is draped in the sentence.

The three girls all look at each other with raised eye brows.

"Are we talking about like, what I think we're talking about?" Lea asks slowly.

"I think so." Jackie whispers.

"We're talking about sex ladies." Sharpay fills in with a dramatic sigh. "Do Troy and I look like we have sex enough?"

"Honey, how do you presume one would look if they have sex _enough_?" Emma consoles while catching up the extra step to put Jackie and Lea behind them.

All four of them are walking to the outdoor basketball courts to meet up with an unknowing Troy who was busy all day Sunday with homework. Even though Sharpay had nothing to do Sunday since her semester classes are a little on the easy side compared to Troy's, and Troy was busy 'studying' even though it is only the beginning of the school year and his girlfriend wanted to see him.

"Well…," Sharpay pauses to think, "you know. Happy? We look happy, right? Because we MAKE each other happy. We have been doing it since sophomore year together. Granted sometimes I slip up and we experiment with others, but we MAKE each other happy. Present tense; not past." The irritableness is evident in her voice near the end of her small rant.

"Of course. You guys make the cutest couple." Jackie replies automatically.

Sharpay sighs again dramatically. "Then how come we haven't had sex in SO long?!"

Classmates who are passing by the girls on their ways to their classes or lunch give them weird looks before realizing who's talking and then making a swift getaway by speeding up their walking pace.

"When was the last time honey?" Emma's soft voice breaks through the roughness of Sharpay's body language as she is slowly working her mind into Hurricane Sharpay.

Sharpay hesitates, but then decides that she has nothing to hide. "Last June before school ended."

If Sharpay had eyes in the back of her head she would've seen Jackie and Lea share shocked looks while Emma is the more subtle, laid back girl in the group. "But you two have been together this year before. That's why you missed one of Darbus' meetings because you had to work around basketball try-outs." Emma points out.

"Yeah, but…we just don't anymore. It's like once I--you know, orgasm, he just says he's too tired! Even though there's body evidence that says he's ready to be released!"

They follow a curve in the path while Sharpay hugs her pink jacket closer to her body. They're nearing the basketball courts and can already hear the basketball dribbling as he's not in his usual lunch spot outside in the front of the quad since for some unknown reason the sprinklers are running when it's chilly out due to the change of weather overtaking them.

"Maybe Troy's pleasuring himself?" Jackie suggests while Sharpay shakes her head.

"He better not be if I have anything to say about it."

They come into view of the basketball courts and although it's only in the low fifties, Troy is in nothing but red sweatpants with the hem of his red and white plaid boxers visible. Sharpay narrows her eyes on seeing the petite girl sitting in the bleachers drawing something presumably for art class. Sharpay doesn't see the knowing look on her friends' faces.

"Maybe he's cheating with Gabriella?" Lea asks.

"Montez." Sharpay corrects Lea.

"Yeah, Montez. Not Gabriella." Her feeble voice corrects her 'mistake'.

Sharpay feels her blood turn in her system and can't believe that they're still hanging around each other during lunch time. She can barely sit through a basketball game without getting bored. How does Gabriella sit in the bleachers and watch Troy PRACTICE basketball when they're just 'friends' and not in a relationship like Sharpay and him are in?

"It's probably nothing Shar." Emma's timid voice speaks up in a while now. Emma over the years of being Sharpay's best friend and hanging out in Sharpay's room has come to know Gabriella a little bit better than most would presume. She doesn't actually mind Gabriella and finds her very interesting to talk to as Gabriella is a nice and sweet girl. Gabriella can basically get along with anyone except Sharpay and that's what must draw people in. Emma kind of silently respects Gabriella for not blowing a gasket yet due to Sharpay's harshness even though when it came down to things, and if Gabriella and Sharpay both got into a physical fight with each other, they all know Gabriella would probably come out winning.

"I'll see you guys later." Sharpay dismisses them before waltzing over to Troy who by now has stopped dribbling and is now working on his free throws. He's about to let the ball go after getting into perfect position before she clears her throat and he nearly drops the ball. She doesn't notice Gabriella's head look up from the drawing she's creating and sees amusement enter the chocolate eyes.

"Hey baby." He coos; already able to see the sharpness in her eyes.

"What are you doing tonight?" She snaps a little too harshly, but a horny irritable Sharpay does not make nice ever.

"Um…," Troy bites his lip while glancing out of the corner of his eye to see Gabriella biting her lip also; keeping in the giggle about to erupt at how funny it must seem to see Troy getting snapped at by his girlfriend, "Brie--Gabriella and I have an Earth Science study group at 7." He answer truthfully as they have to somehow fit in their two study group nights around soccer practice and basketball practice, and Mrs. Gribble insists on the partners getting together for two hours, two to three times a week to study and work on projects together.

Sharpay looks at him suspiciously. She should be able to trust him, but after his disappearing act at the party the other night, it is getting harder and harder too.

"Tomorrow then?"

"Basketball practice in the evening."

"Well then that leaves your night time open and I'm coming over to your room." She declares as if he doesn't already have a roommate who's most likely going to be tired from school and basketball too.

He pauses and she must notice while she places a hand on his upper arm; squeezing his muscle for effect.

"You do want to spend time together right?" She's inching closer. Her lips are just inches from his.

"Yeah."

"Good." She kisses him quickly and leans into him. She whispers deliberately into his ear, "Don't be tired this time. I have big plans."

* * *

Sometime on Saturday night after catching Chad and Taylor out by the boys' dorm, Troy and Gabriella both agreed to talk to Chad and Taylor about what they saw. But it seems to both Gabriella and Troy that Chad and Taylor are avoiding everyone they know. A clear first sign that something happened.

But as the classes on Monday are over Gabriella hunted down Taylor and followed her to the secluded library that only comes to life with students who cram things into their brains during the night since they have really bad prioritizing skills.

"Hey." Gabriella plops down into the chair across from Taylor in the back of the library.

Taylor flashes Gabriella a smile and knows something's up since Gabriella looks worried. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong per say." Gabriella glances around to see that the closest person that's near them is ten tables away. "I just got done scheduling my therapy appointments. It looks like Wednesday's for one hour I'm property of the guidance counselor on campus."

Taylor knows that Gabriella is just trying to make it lighter than what it seems, but everyone around campus is still talking about Gabriella's return and deep down Taylor knows that Gabriella is still hurting. It wouldn't be normal if she isn't.

"There's something else though, isn't there?"

"You're not one to miss anything, are you Tay." Gabriella jokes warily and then leans in some.

"Wow, you're not gonna kiss me, are you?" She jokes.

Gabriella smiles awkwardly. "Funny you should mention that." Her voice drops it's volume and Taylor has to lean in to hear better. "Troy and I saw something on Saturday night. In more finer details: we saw you and Chad kissing." Gabriella couldn't stop from hissing it out.

Taylor looks around wildly to see if anyone heard, but the only other student that is now in the library moved farther away from them.

"SHH!! Say it louder!" Taylor says sarcastically.

"Tay, this is bad. You're not denying it." Gabriella whines as her eyes go wide. She's waiting for her best friend to confess to anything that would've made kissing Chad and cheating on Zeke any less horrid sounding. "Were you drunk because maybe then I'd understand, but Tay, this is BAD!"

"You think?" Taylor whispers forcefully. "Thanks for pointing that out! I have Chad down my throat already, not literally, I think Zeke suspects something, but not that I kissed someone else, and now I have you hounding me for information!"

"Back up." Gabriella whispers softly. "First: can you blame Zeke for suspecting something? And you didn't just kiss anyone, you kissed CHAD! Second: I'm not hounding you for information. I'm just trying to understand what happened to make you forget for that moment in time that you are with Zeke and not Chad."

Taylor takes a deep breath. She knows she messed up, but what more can she do. She's trying to isolate herself away from Chad as much as she can, not counting school projects because then Zeke might really start getting suspicious if she stops working with Chad.

"I don't know. I really don't know what I was thinking. But it's not happening again. That I can tell you. And you don't have to worry since Zeke isn't going to find out."

"What?" Gabriella's tone is eerie. "What do you mean Zeke will never know? Tay, please don't tell me you're gonna keep this from him. _Please_?" She begs. How can her best friend do this to Zeke. Zeke is a good guy; granted Chad is too, but Zeke and Taylor just told each other they love one another! How can Taylor do that?!

"Gabi, it's just…complicated. It's like…I don't know what happened, but I'm doing everything I can to keep from hurting Zeke as much as possible."

Gabriella let out a nosily sigh. "I can't believe this." She's rubbing her temples; already feeling a head ache coming on. "I really can't fucking believe this Tay!"

"What?!" Taylor snaps a little too loudly as the librarian looks up from her desk all the way across the huge library and glares at them; warningly.

"Maybe the fact that you messed up and are gonna keep it from Zeke?!"

Taylor rolls her eyes finding that her patience are running thinner and thinner. "Why are you acting like this is just my fault?! Chad kissed me! Not the other way around."

Gabriella rolls her eyes. As if that makes it any better. "Taylor! Will you listen to yourself?! You're making excuses! It doesn't matter if Chad kissed you first or not! You kissed back, and don't deny it because Troy and I saw it with our very own eyes, and Chad isn't attached to anyone. He doesn't have a girlfriend to worry about, and granted that doesn't give him the best friend of the year award for kissing you, but it's not his job worrying about Zeke. That's your's and--and--I can't… I don't--"

"Just drop it Gabriella. It's not like you're any better." She mumbles while looking down at the book in front of her.

Gabriella pauses and does a double take. "What?"

"You heard me and know exactly what I'm talking about. You and Troy? Ring a bell?"

"I don't…I don't know what you mean _Taylor_." Gabriella whispers harshly; making sure to stress her full name.

Taylor rolls her eyes. "You and Troy have been like this," she twists her middle and index finger together to make a tie, "since the school year has started. Over the summer you told me about the warnings he gave you last year and how you two fought, but then all of a sudden this year started and you have been inseparable. I wouldn't be surprised if Troy was about to dump Sharpay's ass tonight." Taylor shot at Gabriella.

Gabriella looks around to see that not even the librarian is in view of them now. Gabriella stands up; making sure to make a loud noise with the chair scraping across the tiled flooring.

"What Troy and I do is innocent fun Taylor. You know that! We sit outside and draw! Unless we start doing some kinky stuff with our posing, I don't think you can compare what us FRIENDS do to you and Chad!" Gabriella turns and starts to walk away.

Taylor stands up also while glaring. "You better not tell him Gabriella! He doesn't need to know!"

Gabriella doesn't turn back around until she's a good few tables away. She gives Taylor a look of pity before continuing out of the library.

* * *

"Dude, I know you don't like Zeke, but I never thought that you would actually try something with Tay." Troy states in the most calm voice he can muster while laying lazily on his bed; waiting for the clock to change to 5:30 so he can go down to the dining hall where dinner is going to be served.

Chad is busy looking in the mirror they have on the back of their door above the etch-a-sketch to write messages on, and pulling back his hair for baseball practice which is starting anytime now.

"Bolton, I'm in no mood to be talking about Tay right now. I'm running late for practice which is being held an hour and a half later than normal which means I'm missing the dinner times for the dining hall and we all know that I'm crabby without food."

"Well then grab a granola bar and sit down so we can actually acknowledge the fact how you ruined Tay's and Zeke's relationship." Troy comes off a little too harsh and locks eyes with Chad through the mirror Chad's using. Troy's face softens a little while sighing.

"I didn't mess anything up." Chad states as if it's the most obvious thing. The bitterness in his voice leaking through. Chad must've seen the confusion on Troy's face because Troy certainly doesn't understand. Chad sighs, "She's not telling Zeke, and I agreed to that."

Troy nods his head a little while sitting up a little bit more and flicking off the already muted small TV. "I guess I'm…sorry man. I know how much you like her."

"I think I love her." He murmurs and Troy's eyes bug out of their sockets.

"Well then…I guess who's to say has the right to hold you back from going after her? As much as I like Zeke," Chad shot him a withering glare, "come on, you know he's one of my good friends too, but…if you really do care for her and love her like you say you do, then…who's to stop you? There's not official rule in writing that says you can't go after her."

Chad smiles while throwing on his red baseball cap with their school's mascot on the front of a wildcat. "Thanks man. It's like the same thing with you and Gabi."

"Whoa! What? Back up man, I have a girlfriend already." Troy denies.

Chad rolls his eyes while grabbing his gym bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "True, but we all know otherwise."

Chad leaves before Troy can retaliate; too shocked to do anything right away. Did everyone really think that Gabriella and him were into each other? If so, maybe that was some sort of sign that Gabriella was willing for another go at a relationship?

Troy smiles as he hauls himself off of his bed after seeing that it is dinner time and then he gets to see Gabriella for their study session. After all, the smile is for the food and not the studying that's going to be going on afterwards.

He always thinks better on a full stomach.

* * *

**Author's note--I actually have no idea what to think of this chapter. Maybe I'm kind of nervous as I don't think this is my best work, but I just wanted to post this because it's leading up to the next couple of chapters and I'm excited for those. Have you guys ever been really excited for certain chapters, but then before you can even post them you have to take your time for filler ones and they just seem to drag on and on? Well, I guess I think of this chapter as dragging on and on. Tell me what you think. Thanks.**


	16. Do You Feel

**Author's Note--I'm so EXCITED! I just heard the premiere of the first released High School Musical 3 song! It was on radio Disney! Anybody else hear it?!**

**Also, since I heard the song and have watched countless interviews, I will in no way spoil anything. With that being said…EEEHHH! If you have heard it then you're probably just as excited as I am!**

* * *

_I'm thinking about other things I heard about today  
All this week and tomorrow  
And how these hands can create some better things for bettering  
but you see for now I got my own things  
I can't help it  
I got too many issues I own  
So I cannot help I'm afraid, yeah  
But keep on preaching, preaching and heal the world  
Lip service makes us look great  
_Do You Feel--The Rocket Summer

* * *

_Some things you just don't question. _

_If you end up winning the lottery you don't stop jumping up and down, screaming at the top of your lungs because you're wondering what you did different than the person who's next to you. You just accept it and be merry that you won._

_If you end up discovering some cure for a spreading virus and saving peoples' lives, you don't stop distributing the medicine because you wonder what it would be like if you didn't find it in the first place._

_You just don't question things, and seeing your girlfriend after not seeing her for three weeks is one of them._

_Ryan stood up from sitting on the park bench at the place Kelsi told him to meet her. He was surprised when he got a phone call from her that morning saying that she was going to be in the city near his place where his family decided to stay for the summer until they go on their cruise, but he didn't deject her as it sounded like something was off, but all in all he was just too happy to see her after being apart._

_He saw her walking down the park path in light blue jeans and a red t-shirt. Her hair was down and to him she had never looked more beautiful. _

_Her bluish green eyes locked onto his and he grinned; completely missing the sadness locked within her._

"_Hey you!" He greeted while rushing up to her and wrapping his arms around her tightly._

_Kelsi had an awkward looking face on while she stiffened in his arms. If Ryan wasn't this excited to see her then he would have noticed how Kelsi didn't wrap her arms around him like usual._

"_Hey…" Kelsi's timid voice broke through the silence before Ryan let go of her; taking a step back to look at her, but still kept his hands on her two shoulders._

"_I was so surprised when you called me this morning. I thought you would want to spend your time off from piano boot camp with your family?" Ryan asked with amusement and excitement laced within his voice._

_Kelsi looked down at the ground while subtly shaking Ryan's hands off of her._

"_Um…I kind of…need to do something. Or rather um…I messed up." She blurted out while hesitantly looking up into his light brown eyes._

_He looked at her expectantly; like she was just going to blurt out again what she did. He didn't care what she did. He'd always be around to help her out._

"_Well…what is it? It can't be that bad." He played it off as if it didn't bother him so much, but if it is bothering her like this then it bothered him._

_She shuffled her feet nervously and played with her hands. "It's hard to say." She admitted while looking past him; finding it too hard to stare into his eyes anymore. She messed up; big time!_

"_I don't' care Kelsi. I'll help you no matter what." Ryan promised._

"_Ry, just stop." She pleaded; not wanting to hear his promises anymore since she just wound up feeling even more guilty._

"_No, just tell me what's wrong. I'll always be here to help you." He promised again and Kelsi shut her eyes._

"_I kissed someone else." She blurted out again; wincing as she heard the harsh intake of air he sucked in. _

_He took a step back from her and stared at her disbelievingly. HIS Kelsi kissed another guy. HER lips were on some guy's lips. SHE broke his trust. He just couldn't believe it._

"_No, seriously," a nervous chuckle sounded in the bottom of his throat, "what's wrong?"_

_His eyes went lighter and lighter than normal as built up frustration with this situation was making home in his body._

"_I'm sorry." Kelsi mumbled while looking down at the ground in shame._

_Ryan's body tensed up at just looking at her. His heart broke right there and then. "You're serious." He stated. "How could--why would--who with?" Ryan couldn't even form a proper sentence._

"_I'm sorry. It just happened!" Kelsi exclaimed as tears came to her eyes. She didn't mean to hurt him, but somewhere along the line things must've just fell apart._

"_Yeah, and I magically fell on the sidewalk and lip locked with an actress!" Ryan's sarcasm could be heard from miles away._

_Kelsi swallowed loudly while trying to control her tears from falling. "Ryan, you have to understand that I'm sorry and I never meant to hurt you." _

"_I thought you loved me?" He asked quietly while he tried to control the hurt in his voice. He wasn't going to fall apart._

"_I did. I do. I just…I just need time to think." _

_Ryan let out a deep breath while running his hand through his hair. "_YOU _need time to think?! What about me?! I'm the one who got cheated out of this relationship."_

_Kelsi sighed softly. "And I'm sorry for that. I really am, and I totally understand if you hate me."_

_There was a silence while Kelsi avoided Ryan's eye line. She knew that she messed up, but somewhere along the line she must've wanted something like this to happen so they could break up, or else she wouldn't have allowed Tom to kiss her in the first place. She wouldn't have allowed herself to spend all this time with him over the last three weeks. _

"_I just need time too, I guess." He admitted as if he was ashamed for thinking that, but he shouldn't be. He had every right to yell, scream, and be angry at her. He looked up from the ground at the same time she did. "I just need to think and we need to talk and we need to do a hell of a lot more to recover from this."_

_Kelsi nodded, but did she really want too?_

* * *

Gabriella wakes to the sound of her alarm going off in the evening indicating that it's time to go get dinner and head on over to the library to study with Troy.

She sits up out of breath and wipes at her forehead to feel perspiration. She looks around her dorm room to make sure that everything is real as her chest rises and falls drastically.

Usually when people take cat naps after getting done from their first track practice for an hour they fall soundlessly into a deep sleep where they hopefully don't remember their dreams, or if so then they're at least pleasant dreams that puts smiles on their faces, but when Gabriella dreams, it's never good.

She leans her head against the head board and shuts her eyes in pain. Not physical pain, although her legs feel like they're on fire from having soccer practices all weekend and now track practice mixed in with school work, but this is more mental and emotional pain.

Her mind just won't let her forget the three faces that haunt her everyday. It's too painful to be reminded everyday, but also in a sense, it's too painful to forget. After all, they were her brother, sister, and father. It just wouldn't be right to forget them.

She takes a harsh intake of breath as her stomach grumbles for food. She finally rips open her eyes and swings her legs over the side of her bed and stretches her sore limbs. She makes her eyes skip over the side table next to her where she knows their picture is.

She sighs while quickly throwing her hair up into a messy bun and collects her American Eagle bag which holds her school stuff in it.

"You know you scream in your sleep." A high pitch snobby voice points out instead of questions.

Gabriella turns around and heads for the door where the blonde just entered. "Thanks for the warning." Gabriella mumbles not wanting to get into it just yet. She is still crabby from her fight with Taylor earlier that evening, and now she has to let her mind erase the nightmare she just had and put on an act for everyone else to see.

Sharpay rolls her eyes while plopping down on her bed lazily with a magazine. "Whatever. Just an observation."

Gabriella rolls her eyes without saying anything else. She exits her room without a glance back and rubs her eyes; letting them adjust to the bright lights in the lobby.

She doesn't need a reminder that she's the reason why her brother, sister, and father are dead.

* * *

"So…where are we sitting?" Jason asks in a bored tone. Truth be told, he isn't looking forward to studying. The hanging out with Kelsi part is the only thing that's keeping him there. He is determined to find out what exactly happened between her and Ryan.

Kelsi looks around the library which has the scattered students that come in right after dinner time to study or catch up on things. By seven at night usually the library is packed since that's after all the sports, clubs, and dinner and students just come in.

There are two options. One: they can stay in the front half of the library where not as many kids are due to the librarian who seems like she's always watching, or two: they can go to the back of the library where the librarian can't see them but more kids will be there to hopefully distract Jason as much as possible.

"Let's go to the back."

Jason smiles. "Awesome."

Jason very obediently follows Kelsi to the back; letting her choose the specific table they are going to be studying in. He frowns behind her as he sees that she very specifically picks the table that seems to be in the center of everyone else in the crowded back half of the library, but then again, no one is supposed to talk in here and every student no matter who they are seems to follow that rule and brings their voice to a whisper.

"So…," he looks up at Kelsi after flinging his backpack down onto the table and finding his earth science folder, "it looks like we're gonna be seeing a lot of each other."

He gets amusement as her eyes look up in alarm and her cheeks go a little pink.

"Wh--yeah. I guess if you count two nights a week a lot of time." She mumbles while going through her own bag for her things. "But we do have A LOT of things to cover. 16 chapters to be specific."

Jason leans back in his chair and lazily puts his hands behind his head. If he was with Zeke like last year in their chemistry class, then they would maybe meet up for thirty minutes, and that was a big maybe as they would easily get distracted with the play station in his room.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We only have to work on chapter one so far, and we still have tonight and tomorrow night to get ready for our first lab."

"But we can't get together tomorrow night because you have basketball and I have drama. That's the whole reason why we picked Mondays and Thursdays to meet." She says a little too harshly before sighing and looking at Jason a little bit more softly. "Hey, at least the first chapter is only about introducing us to geology and science."

Jason smiles at her as he sees that she's becoming more relaxed. "That's the spirit."

"Yippee!" Kelsi says sarcastically with a sweat smile on her face. Maybe they can get along a little better than what she thought. "Now lets start on this outline."

Jason rolls his eyes jokingly before he starts to open his book along with Kelsi who looks at him longer than necessary and flashes him a small smile before continuing with finding the right page.

* * *

"You know…I never did get to ask you how track went today." Troy's soft voice whispers through the library as they are in the back trying to get ready by doing the required assignment.

Gabriella looks up briefly for the first time in the first five minutes that they've been there and then looks down again knowing that what Taylor told her that afternoon would just enter her mind even more by looking at Troy.

She shrugs. "You know; running, stretching, some more running, sore legs. Pretty much the usual for the first track practice." She tries to play it off normally while pretending to be more interested in the packet in front of her, but she can't help but peak up at him as he stares at her; forgetting the assignment in front of her.

He smiles at her. After getting dinner for the night and talking to Chad he's trying to look at things from a different perspective. Having Gabriella sitting across from him and only him sounds and looks good from where he's sitting. But something's off about her tonight, and he is determined to figure out what. After all, he can't find out if she's looking for a relationship if she's not in a good mood to begin with.

"That's the same response Chad gave me before too."

Gabriella nods her head knowing she specifically avoided Chad at their track practice as usually they would run beside each other; keep the other one going at a good pace considering they were some of the only seniors on the team that are expected to do good this year. But she just couldn't put herself around Chad as she felt her eyes narrow on him at just seeing the smile tug on his lips. She knows he likes Taylor, and she often was on the receiving end of hearing him complain about Zeke and Taylor's relationship, but she never in a million years would've guessed he would make a move on Taylor like that.

"Yeah…" Her voice is distant and Troy can tell. There is just too much on her mind. Eating dinner in the dining hall didn't help clear her mind about the dream she had; even when some of her soccer friends came to join her at the table. She just sat there quietly; concentrating on the carrots and sandwich in front of her.

Troy stretches out lazily; extending his legs all the way under the table so they sit right under Gabriella's chair, he slouches in the hard wooden chair that no one can get comfortable in after a period of time, and his fingers tap noisily against the marbled table.

He lets out a breath while looking at Gabriella who's highlighting something in her book. He extends his neck so he can try to see what she's reading as he's supposed to be doing the same thing, but he just can't concentrate. This just all seems pointless to him seeing as they have two weeks to study for their first chapter test.

"Want to take a study break?" He asks in a whisper seeing as they are surrounded by other students, counting Jason and Kelsi who are three tables away.

Gabriella drops her highlighter and looks up. She's deciphering something as he can see it in her dark chocolate eyes. She takes a breath, "Troy…I just want to study. I'm too tired to be playing games."

"Who said anything about playing games?"

Gabriella sighs and looks up at him again. Taylor's words echoing around in her head. Is she really the other woman? No. Of course not. In order to be the other woman they would have had to have done something to break Sharpay's trust, and so far they are only friends. If she can't even handle thinking about being in a relationship right now, how could she even be another woman? Taylor doesn't know what she is talking about.

"Troy, I just…I'm tired. I have an early class tomorrow, and not to mention other homework that has to be done. Can we PLEASE just keep doing this outline?"

Troy sighs defeated. How can he say no to those brown eyes? "What page are you on?"

* * *

"Baseball was a killer today." Ryan exclaims in a non-library voice completely ignoring the looks that he is receiving.

"I know. I swear the coach thinks we have our first game tomorrow." Zeke agrees in an equally loud voice.

"Shh!" The librarian hisses from her desk and both boys look at her with blushes on their cheekbones.

"Sorry." Ryan whispers back as they both stand at the front of the library.

"So…" Zeke trails off looking around clueless. After all, he has only been in the library for Taylor, and usually she's the one who gets the table, books, and everything else.

"Yeah…" Ryan says with equal awkwardness.

It is now seven-thirty as the guys planned on meeting for one hour every Monday at seven on the dot in the library. But due to getting distracted easily with TV, play station, food, and various other things, it looks like it might take more will power than they thought. But at least they put thought into meeting when Zeke before came up with a brilliant plan to just 'wing it' when Mrs. Gribble calls on them later in class the next couple of days.

"So, we just get a table? We don't have to sign in?" Zeke asks as Ryan decides to be the brave one and starts waking in further to find an empty table; preferably away from various girls since he at least wanted to get something done seeing as they aren't even meeting twice a week.

"Not that I'm aware of." Ryan mumbles while finally seeking out a table in the way back, but he stops in his tracks while spotting a very familiar brunette talking very closely to his dislike with his roommate.

Zeke follows Ryan's eye line and pats him on the shoulder. "I told you at the party they were just talking about their earth science project. Now was I right, or was I right?"

Ryan rolls his eyes, but followed behind Zeke as he makes his way over to them. Ryan can see out of the corner of his eye Gabriella and Troy working too.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Zeke asks in a normal voice and Kelsi looks around wildly to see if they're gonna get yelled at because of Zeke.

"Shh! It's a library. We're studying. What else would we do?" Kelsi asks pointedly, sending her gaze in Ryan's direction as she hasn't forgotten the words they exchanged Saturday night.

Zeke glances around and notices the deciphering stare Ryan is giving Jason before finally letting a small smile onto his face that shows he accepts whatever Kelsi and Jason are doing, or at least that is what Zeke thinks.

Jason shuffles uncomfortably in his wooden chair and clears his throat. "So Kelsi, we better start studying again. You know," he turns to look at Zeke, but more so Ryan, "we have A LOT of studying to do. Might take a while."

"Of course." She mutters; oblivious to the looks Ryan and Jason are sending each other. "Now you want to study, but ten minutes ago you were bugging me about books."

Zeke looks at Ryan, Jason, and then Ryan again. "Yeah." He says slowly. "We better get going anyhow. I don't think my parents will be too thrilled if I manage to get an F in only the first quarter of school. Let's go Evans."

They start walking to the table that's open two spots over. "What the hell was that?" Zeke hisses now in a whisper.

Ryan shrugs, "I have no idea what you mean."

Zeke rolls his eyes. "I get it; you're hurting. But what they're doing," he motions over to a now reading Kelsi and a bored looking Jason, "is studying. Exactly what everyone else in this library is doing."

Ryan narrows his eyes while hurt flashes through the light brown orbs. At first when they walked over to them he let himself believe Zeke. They truly looked like they were studying, but then Jason had to make that comment. Maybe Jason isn't being as big of an ass as Ryan is making him out to be, but he is coming pretty close.

Zeke sighs while noticing Ryan isn't even listening to him anymore. Screw studying.

"You want to go back to the room and play some play station?"

"Hell yeah."

* * *

"Eew. It's pretty dark out." Gabriella says with bitterness in her voice while her and Troy are standing right outside the library under the shielding edge of the roof.

Troy looks at her with a raised eye brow. "I knew it! I knew it! You really are afraid of the dark."

Gabriella rolls her eyes while pushing off from the building and onto the path that will take her back to her dorm. "No I'm not. See? I'm walking perfectly fine in the dark."

Troy rolls his eyes, but nonetheless follows while holding in a remark. "So…you okay?" He asks with an added glance her way.

Gabriella's small shoulders go up and down in the t-shirt that fits her body so well. "I guess. Why?"

"No reason. Just noticed something was up. Maybe it was my imagination."

Gabriella looks around and notices that Troy didn't turn off to the right like he should have to get to his dorm room. "Aren't you--"

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk by yourself?" He flashes her his white teeth. "But seriously now; is everything alright?"

"Define alright." Gabriella's sly remark makes Troy furrow his brow.

She is thinking back to Taylor and her argument. The guilty feeling Gabriella is feeling just knowing about Taylor and Chad's kiss is making itself a home in her stomach. The dream that she had earlier isn't leaving her mind. In all aspects, no. She is not alight.

"I don't know. I guess I just mean in general."

They make it to the steps of her building, but they both linger.

"In general: yeah. Mom is okay, school classes are okay, and soccer is okay." Gabriella answers truthfully. "Guess I'm just a little freaked out, but it's nothing to worry about."

"Freaked out?" Troy asks slowly before she can quickly dismiss herself from this conversation which has taken maybe a too drastic change.

Gabriella wraps her arms around her small body to keep some heat in her system. "Yeah. Just had a regular dream before. Nothing to worry about." But what Gabriella is hoping is that Troy doesn't know that a regular dream for her is a nightmare.

"Oh." Troy's voice drops and he keeps his disappointment in.

"See? No big deal. It's all over. I just have to start believing that." Gabriella seems to be the one soothing him, and making sure that he's alright with her discomfort. "You're kind of taking this weirder than what I expected."

Troy snaps his head up and looks at her with wide eyes of surprise before clearing his throat and converting his face back to normal. "No! Uh…I mean, just…no. Guess I'm just tired too. See you around Brie."

"Yeah…" Gabriella trails off; watching his fast retreat while he stuffs his hands in his pockets and hangs his head.

Maybe she isn't as ready as he thought to have a relationship?

* * *

**Author's Note--Has anyone else seen the pictures released from the shooting of High School Musical Three?! It's just getting me even more excited. How about you?**


	17. Walk Away

_i cant explain this feeling  
i think about it everyday  
and even though we've moved on  
it gets so hard to walk away  
_Walk Away--Paula Deanda

* * *

The time is now. There couldn't be a more perfect time than to do this now. It is like flaunting itself in front of her. Telling her, 'It's now or never. It's now or never,'.

Kelsi sighs while running a hand through her hair.

He's sitting along on the ledge of the stonewall. First period just got done and they haven't talked in a day and a half; not since Monday night, and that is barely counted as talking since it was under school terms, and they technically didn't even have to talk to each other since they're not in the same group for earth science.

Kelsi bounces quickly down the drama buildings steps and makes her way over to where Ryan is sitting and going through some book for some class he's taking.

"Hey." She greets softly as this is the conversation that she had been trying to avoid for as long as possible, but since Saturday night it looked to be impossible. She doesn't feel the same way anymore.

Ryan shuts his book while hopping down from the little edge he's sitting on. He picks up his backpack and slings it over his shoulder.

"…Hey."

He starts walking in a direction that presumably leads to his next class. Kelsi falls into step with him as she knows that she's going in the opposite direction that she needs to go in for calculus.

"So…" Kelsi draws out while she follows a sharp turn in the path and she notices for the first time that the clouds are overtaking the sky to make it on the darker side than usual. "Which class are you going too?"

"Business Ed." He replies automatically and Kelsi nods her head awkwardly.

He seems to pick up his pace and Kelsi takes large strides to get ahead of him and then turns so he has to stop walking without running into her.

"Can we just like, slow down?" She asks even though she's giving him no choice to move unless he wants to try to side step her.

Ryan looks down at her and hears her sigh. There is no way around it. He's irritated, and he knows that he'll continue to be.

"Ry, I need to talk to you, and I know this might not be the best time, but we never see each other anymore." Kelsi says softly.

Ryan rolls his eyes, but nonetheless bites back his comment. "I guess." He agrees quietly while biting the inside of his cheek.

"We're friends, right? I mean, you told me the first week of school that you'd give me time and I think my time is up." She rambles while looking down at the ground; not being able to accept the hurt that is entering his eyes. "I have to tell you something, and you might not like it."

Ryan nods his head stiffly while trying to control his thinking on this situation.

"I don't think there can be an us anymore. I just…do you understand? We have too much of a past and I don't understand how you can still like me after I cheated on you. I can't stand feeling like I'm just dragging you along when I'm--"

"When you're following Jason around like a lost puppy." Ryan cuts in.

Kelsi does a double take while lifting her head up to finally meet his eyes. "What?"

"No. I get it." He says in a fake understanding tone. Hurt is in his eyes while he continues his mocking. "If you really choose him over me, I totally understand.

"It's not like that. I'm not _choosing_ him over you. I thought we were friends?" Kelsi asks in a confused hurt filled tone.

"I don't think we can be." Ryan states sadly while looking down at the ground. How can he be friends with her if he still loves her. "I don't think you get it. I still LOVE you! Even over the summer when things fell apart. I still loved you then and I still do now."

"I do it's just…I don't know. I need you in my life Ryan. You're one of my best friends."

"Nothing more?"

"No." Kelsi answers quietly. "I'm sorry, but I can't help what I feel."

"I have to go." Ryan abruptly walks past her while trying to control the growing anger inside of him. If Jason wan't in the picture then him and Kelsi would be together.

"Ryan!" Kelsi calls out desperately. "We're still friends, right?" She needs him to say 'yes'. How can she go from seeing him everyday last year to not even talking to him if they see each other in class? He is apart of her, and will always have a spot in her heart. He was her first love. He was her first kiss. He was the first boy to make love to her. She can't lose him.

Ryan freezes in his spot and listens to her plea. He turns his head slightly and it breaks his heart even more. Yeah, their relationship was rocky, but he forgave Kelsi for cheating on him, and now she's off prancing around with Jason like some brainless cheerleader would do.

"Are you with Cross?" Ryan asks in a low voice that holds all of his emotions.

Kelsi shrugs her small shoulders. "I--Ryan, does it matter? Because I don't think it does. Right now I'm just asking about you. It's about YOU and ME. Because I need you to be in my life. We can't just go from seeing each other to not at all."

"What does it matter?! You'll see me in class!" Ryan says with frustration.

"Please? Just friends."

Ryan shuts his eyes in almost pain and then rips them open. "Sure. Just friends." He answers quietly and turns swiftly around to walk away.

His eyes narrow just thinking about Jason moving in on his 'friend'.

* * *

Sharpay smiles as she's reading through the script that Ms. Darbus just gave her while people from the drama club or just random people who got stuck with a detention with Ms. Darbus work around her with the beginning preparations of the fall musical.

She is overly ecstatic as she can't keep her mind out of the gutter from the previous night with her and Troy.

"BAYLOR?! Is a Zeke Baylor present?!" Ms. Darbus' voice can be heard through the thick walls that are surrounding Sharpay in her grade A dressing room which is more like the size of a master bedroom.

Emma is sitting next to her in a theatre chair that you usually see on movie sets with the actresses' or actors' last names on the back.

"What has you so happy?" Emma asks with a smirk at seeing her best friend giddy with something.

Before Sharpay can answer her dressing room door is thrown open and a blur runs past them quickly and throws itself in the big cabinet that holds some dresses that are being customized for the play already.

"What the," Emma starts.

"Hell?" Sharpay finishes as the people who are in her dressing room are hanging clothes up, and they all share a confused look also.

Sharpay stands up and grabs a silver six inch heeled shoe from the table. She walks slowly over to the cabinet and is about to open it, but a voice stops her.

"I'm not here." His meek voice squeaks.

"…" Sharpay looks at Emma who just shrugs her shoulders. "What?"

"I'm not here." The voice hisses much louder.

"Miss Evans!" Ms. Darbus' voice rings through the room and everyone snaps back to what they were doing before.

"Yes?" Sharpay lowers the shoe and smiles politely at the teacher; although it's fake. Sharpay's sure that she's gonna get in trouble for not following Ms. Darbus' instructions and reading the script.

"Have you seen a Mr. Zeke Baylor? He's supposed to be mopping the stage from all the God forsaken saw dust the construction workers just HAD to leave behind!"

Sharpay looks out of the corner of her eye at the cabinet that can just mysteriously 'talk'. She smiles fake again, and decides to let her good mood effect her all the way.

"…No. I'm sorry. I heard a commotion going on in dressing room H though."

"Oh." Ms. Darbus snaps and throws her scarf over her shoulder. "I better get on that. No one can do a darn thing by themselves nowadays." She's heard muttering as she leaves.

The cabinet door slowly opens while Zeke's head sticks out and then his body comes into view slowly. He smiles gratefully at Sharpay while stepping fully out. He had gotten a detention from talking on his cell phone during in between classes outside the drama building, and Ms. Darbus had caught him.

"Thanks Evans." He says with a nod.

Sharpay rolls her eyes; reminding herself that she is in a good mood. "Whatever."

She walks back over to Emma who's reading again and sits down while snapping the script to her eyes. She feels someone staring at her and looks over the edge of the script. "Yeah?"

Zeke shuffles in his spot. "Nothing, just…why didn't you tell?"

Sharpay shrugs. "I'm feeling nice today."

Zeke just smiles at Sharpay. Maybe she isn't so bad?

"Although…" Sharpay's voice rings out and Zeke shuts his eyes briefly before looking at her with a smile plastered onto his face roughly. "You owe me. BIG time Baylor."

Zeke's eyes nearly double in size. And if that sight isn't pretty enough; he starts to gag on air while putting a hand down on a dresser to steady himself.

"Ev--_Sharpay_," his voice is strained while trying to control himself. A blush came upon his cheeks at thinking such thoughts. "I have Taylor. I'm DATING Taylor. And you have Troy who is my fri--"

"Not that!" Sharpay's voice hisses madly. She rolls her eyes while looking at him through small slits. "God!"

Zeke straightens up some while he can safely take his hand off the dresser due to the fact that he can stand himself again.

"Well then…yeah. Name it, and I'll owe you one Ev--_Sharpay_."

Sharpay clicks her manicured nails on the side table next to her chair. She kinks one eye brow while looking Zeke over; not missing how you can tell his upper torso is as hard as rock through the gray tight t-shirt he is wearing.

She smiles coyly; after all, she's in a _very_ good mood that night.

"I'll get back to you."

* * *

"Isn't it kind of unfair for girls and boys to play against each other?" Taylor asks warily while narrowing her eyes on the soccer field in front of them. And since they are now seniors, it means they get front rows on bleachers at the sporting games.

Jason shrugs his shoulders while standing next to Taylor on the bleachers with Zeke on the other side of Taylor too.

The gang, excluding Gabriella and Kelsi, are all standing in the front row on the bleachers to the soccer filed as it is now Saturday and the boys and girls varsity soccer teams are scrimmaging together; although it's not really unfair since they divided the girls and boys on two teams instead of keeping strictly a girl team and boy team. The coaches thought it would be more fair.

"No. The teams are divided fairly." Jason's looking through his video camera while recording the scrimmage's footage.

Troy stiffens while he hears Ryan next to him swallow a low growling sound that sounded muffled. Obviously he isn't over Kelsi as much as he says he is if he's still shitty around Jason when there's himself, Sharpay, Zeke, and Taylor separating them on the bleachers and Chad on his other side so he's farthest away from Taylor.

"Oh!" Chad exclaims while seeing a blonde haired girl ram into a red head. "That had to hurt!" You can hear excitement in his tone.

Troy narrows his eyes while he let's the hurt that the red head is probably feeling as she gets up slowly from the ground over take his face. The blonde girl is unaffected.

"Legs aren't supposed to bend like that!" Jason exclaims with happiness and excitement in his voice too.

Troy looks at all of his friends and notices different things. All the guys are getting too much excitement out of this; it's like watching wrestling or basketball. Taylor is holding hands with Zeke, but Troy doesn't stare too long as if it was someone out of the group that notices someone staring then it would most likely be Taylor. And Sharpay, she's busily looking down at her perfect nails and filing them, but something's different.

"Oh my God!" Taylor's voice is high. "Did he just head butt that person?!"

"YEAH! Isn't that great?!" Jason's voice is too amusing while Troy is pretty sure with just knowing Jason that he's zooming up to the guy who's rubbing his chin where a bruise is surely gonna be in the next couple of hours.

Troy narrows his eyes in confusion when he sees Zeke's almost black eyes look down in the corner and glance at Sharpay who's unknowing. Troy's even more surprised when he sees Sharpay look up from her nails and if he wasn't standing next to her then he would've never seen the little look she sent in Zeke's way before both of them went back to doing their own things.

Troy looks back at the game and sees short blondish brown hair running down the field. He sees the brunette that he just paired up with in art class dribbling the ball down the field.

Anyone that is watching right now has to admit how good Gabriella is at the game. She controls the team without even knowing it as she normally along with the coach sets up what kind of plays they're gonna do.

Troy narrows his eyes on seeing the blondish brown haired boy run up to Gabriella and starts nudging into her. He knows this guy to be Kent Hanson, and normally Troy and him get along. There is just something seeing him all over Gabriella that is ticking Troy off. He glances down to his right and sees Jason with a grim face on too.

"Oh! Gabi's down!" Taylor's high pitch worried voice fills the air and Troy is pretty sure that the students who are behind them on the bleachers had to cover their ears due to Taylor's highness. "She's not getting up. Stupid Kent." She mutters even though Gabriella and her are still in a fight that the two of them aren't telling anyone about.

"No Tay." Zeke reassures her while patting her lightly on the shoulder. "She's moving."

"She's tougher than she looks." Chad also reassures and Troy looks his way.

Troy knows that Gabriella is tougher than she looks, Chad knows that, but Troy also knows even though Taylor is distancing herself from Chad, and even though she is being reassured by Zeke, (her boyfriend), that Chad just needed to get the last word in with them.

"See." Ryan spoke up for the first time; a smile on his face. "Kelsi's moving in on defense, and…" He waited for something as half the gang seems to be watching Ryan in amazement that he's actually talking without a sounding grudge to his tone, and the other half is watching what's happening on the field while Ryan calls it out exactly; without needing to watch. "BAM!" He exclaims finally.

Troy looks at the field and sees how Kelsi got the ball from Kent and passes it up the field while Gabriella rams into Kent from the side when the ref is too busy following the ball midair.

Kent goes spiraling to the ground as Gabriella and Kelsi give each other a high five. Even Sharpay takes a gasp before she continues with her nails; pretending to be very interested in them.

"Holy fuck…" Chad breathes out.

"Are they ALLOWED to do that in soccer?!" Zeke exclaims.

"I feel for him man." Jason responds with a hint of smile on his face.

Troy would've said something, but his eyes were too busy following the brunette around on the field.

* * *

"So pizza tonight? Downtown?" Jason calls out for the whole gang except Gabriella and Kelsi who are still with their coaches talking.

"Count me and Chad out. We have our Spanish project to work on." Taylor calls out automatically and Troy notices that Zeke isn't even phased. Maybe what Chad really told him was true? Taylor really isn't going to tell him that the two of them kissed.

"I'll miss you, but I'm in." Zeke says in a cheerful mood.

"Shar?" Troy murmurs near her ear.

"Can't." She doesn't even look up from texting on her cell phone. "Ry and I have drama."

"And Kelsi?" Jason asks as he's busy shutting off his camera now.

"How am I supposed to know." She snaps and then hastily puts her phone away. "I have to go Troysie. Call me later?" She asks while leaning up on her tip toes to reach his lips with her own.

He ignores the muffled laughter behind him at the nickname Sharpay has given him. "…Yeah."

* * *

Gabriella and Kelsi still weren't with them as Troy looks across the field and saw that they were the only two that are talking to their coaches and everyone is clearing out.

"Dude, you coming back to the room after this?" Chad asks.

"Nah. I have to head to the art room with Brie." He doesn't even try to cover the nickname he gave her now.

The gang finally departed as Troy is the only one left waiting for Gabriella and Kelsi to get done talking. His head picks up as he sees the coaches pick up the ball bag containing at least twenty soccer balls and start to head off the field and over to the wooden shed that holds the outside sports things.

He sees the smile on Gabriella's face as her and Kelsi share a small hug and Kelsi walks out in the opposite direction.

Troy walks down the couple of steps that are separating him and the grassy field. Gabriella looks up and their eyes connect. She gives him a big smile as she's probably still getting the high of her team winning, even though this was a scrimmage and doesn't even count.

Gabriella feels like it's all happening in slow motion as at one minute she's walking towards Troy as she knows that they have an art thing to do, and then the next someone's grabbing her arm and spinning her around so she meets the eyes that belong to Kent.

"Hey Gabi." He greets smoothly; still in his soccer stuff.

"Hey."

"So you know how to pack a punch." He says when rubbing his shoulder where she rammed into him earlier.

She blushes a little and looks at where she can see a small bruise forming. "Sorry, I just got caught up in the game."

"No prob. Just make it up to me by having dinner with me tonight." His voice is so smooth that Gabriella has to wonder if he practices it in a mirror or something.

"Oh." Her voice drops with a little disappointment. "I don't think that would be such a good idea."

In fact, she knows it isn't a good idea since she and the school's counselor decided it isn't a good idea for Gabriella to jump into something she isn't ready for on Wednesday afternoon for an hour.

And she definitely isn't ready to be going out on dates again. Not after what happened the previous year.

"You have plans already don't you? I knew I should've asked you sooner." He smiles at Gabriella and Gabriella just shrugs; not really knowing what to do.

She sees Troy slowly making his way over to them, but that doesn't matter right now as Kent seems to be persistent on getting her to go out on another date with him.

"What about tomorrow night? I know this great place that serves good Mexican dishes."

Gabriella sighs tiredly as all of a sudden she just feels weighed down. They tried dating two years ago and it didn't work out. Instead they ended up sleeping with each other on the first date and then breaking up right after, but somehow still remained friends. It still almost confused Gabriella whenever she thinks about it.

"I'm sorry Kent. I can't do that either."

Troy's now at their sides, and before Kent can say something else he cuts in.

"Hey Brie, ready to go?" He swings an arm around her shoulder and pulls Gabriella to him like he was marking her his property in front of Kent. "We're getting pizza tonight, yeah?"

Gabriella looks up and sees Troy's eyes a dark deep blue. And if she isn't mistaken, maybe a little jealously is mixed in there.

"Oh." Kent looks over the two of them. "I see." He obviously is mistaken if he thinks that Troy and her are together. "I'll let you two be then. Bye Gabi, and nice game."

Gabriella feels guilt go through her for letting Kent think that she and Troy are together now. She takes Troy's arm off from around her. "Call me later Kent, and we'll do something. Okay?"

Kent turns around with a smile on his face. "As you wish Montez!"

Gabriella turns back to Troy who has a confused face on. They distantly hear the door shut leading to the inside of the stadium and they are all of a sudden the lasts ones there.

"So…,you ready to go?" Troy asks as if nothing just happened.

Gabriella narrows her eyes on him a bit. Even though she was starting to feel a little uncomfortable around Kent; that didn't mean she wanted him thinking her and Troy had a side thing going on behind Sharpay's back, and even though Gabriella knows Kent isn't one to tell on people; she still didn't want Kent thinking that as Taylor's words from their fight are still going around in her head.

"What?" Troy asks warily as he sees Gabriella's look.

"Nothing." She snaps a little too harshly. "Just next time when a guy is asking me out; don't jump in for the rescue. People might get the wrong idea."

She starts walking over to where her duffel bag is by the team benches and Troy follows.

"Brie, it was pretty obvious, even from where I was standing, that you didn't want to be having that conversation. What's wrong with me jumping in if I knew that you wanted to be anywhere but there?"

Gabriella sighs while slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder and gives Troy a look. "It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't nearly look like you did back there." She hisses.

She starts walking across the field again for the doors that will lead them inside.

Troy does a double take. What did she mean by that?

He reaches out and grabs onto her arm. That's a mistake as she flinches a little and he eases up on his grip. "What is that supposed to mean?" He murmurs.

She turns around and glares at him. "Like you were JEALOUS! Troy, you really looked jealous and it's not your place to be!"

"What's wrong with me being jealous?" He isn't going to deny it now since she obviously saw.

Gabriella pretended to think. "Maybe because you have a GIRLFRIEND?! Or have you forgot about the bitchy blonde drama queen who's also my roommate?!"

"So what?! Jason would've reacted the same way!" Troy exclaims.

"That's because Jason and I dated! DATED! And are still close friends." Gabriella points out.

"Chad would've intervened also." Troy replies.

"That's because Chad spent all of summer babysitting me." Gabriella says in a voice that seems to be calming down a little.

"And Zeke? He would've come over too."

"That's because he's dating my best friend. Troy, honestly. What were you thinking? I could've handled the situation. He wasn't doing anything wrong and then here you come along trying to 'rescue' me or something from him."

Troy just shrugs. He takes a step closer to her. "Someone has too. And I'm sorry that your precise Jason wasn't here to intervene either."

Gabriella's eyes widen in shock as he takes another step closer to her and he thinks she doesn't know what he's doing. "What is--what does that mean? Him and me are friends. FRIENDS, and that's it!"

"Oh yeah, and last year has nothing to add to that." Troy points out sarcastically while taking another step closer.

"Oh my God. You're jealous of him too." She accuses and Troy doesn't say anything. "Troy, you and I are just friends. Jason and I are just friends. I have just friends because I don't want a relationship right now. And you have no right to be jealous of Jason since you have a girlfriend. Or have you forgotten?" Each sentence she said you can hear the irritation building up.

Troy just shook his head as him and Gabriella are so close that he can see every sparkle in her eyes. They are silent as Troy knows that he shouldn't be doing this, but they are so close. If he can just kiss her; maybe she will want to be in a relationship? He won't have to defend himself then for putting a stop to Kent or any other guy who asks her out.

He cocks his head to the side and stares at her; never breaking eye contact as she looks to just be frozen in her spot.

He leans in some; very slowly as to memorize this whole thing.

He's so close as not even an inch is left between them.

"What are you doing?" She whispers and takes a couple of steps back with warning sirens going off in her head. She knows what he was about to do, and it scares her.

He sees the panic on her face. "Brie…" He breathes out. "Wait."

"For what?!" Her voice goes up in notches. "This is wrong. I just…we just…I'll see you around Troy."

She turns and starts walking away as he just watches her go.

Everything is so wrong.


	18. Guilty Pleasure

_I came here to make you dance tonight,  
I don't care about my guilty pleasure for you,  
Shut up cuz' we won't stop,  
And were getting down till the sun's coming up._  
Guilty Pleasure--Cobra Starship

* * *

"_Hey! I'm home from the airport! Nice of you to send a driver when you have two perfectly working cars of your own." She knows not to expect her mother to come and greet her since she lives all the way across the country since the divorce six years ago, but one thing is for sure: she didn't expect to come home to an empty house owned by her father._

_Gabriella looks around the seeming-to-be empty house of her fathers. She pulls her big suit case into the house and shuts the door while looking around the dim open space living room leading into the dining room._

_She shrugs her shoulders as this is weird since it's spring break, her twelve year old brother and sister, Kyle and Nikki, are no where in sight. She has just come back from not seeing them since Christmas and usually they would already be near the door ready to greet her with a big hug. Her dad is no where in sight too, which is really strange since his two cars are in the driveway, but maybe since it's a nice quiet night in his little neighborhood located in upper Maine that he took the kids out for ice cream?_

"_Hello?" She questioned quietly as the lights upstairs were still shining bright._

_Gabriella slowly creeps up the stairs; leaving her suit case behind._

"_Dad?" Gabriella whispered as if she is expecting him to jump out at anytime, but it's true. It's almost like she's in a bad horror movie, and now is the time where the bad guy comes out to hack her off too._

"_Kyle? This is SO not funny," Gabriella hisses, "if you're planning on jumping out from behind the corner or something."_

_The doors are all closed in the long stretch of the hallway except her father's bedroom door which is open a crack._

_Gabriella looks around eerily, but continues further down the hall to the open cracked door._

"_Daddy?" Gabriella whispered in a hoarse voice. "You guys," she hisses again, "you got me totally freaked out now. You can come out. Nikki, if I find out that you're in on this prank, then...you got another thing coming." Gabriella warned before she continues._

_Gabriella reaches the door and touches it lightly so it doesn't budge. She gives her family members one last chance to show themselves before she's literally scared out of her mind, but nothing happens._

_She pushes the door open slightly as the next sight she sees will never leave her mind._

_Her dad is a highly respected business man who when his kids aren't visiting him over the summer or on vacation likes to travel from country to country. He played soccer as a high school kid just like Gabriella at Davidson Academy and managed to succeed in business too. He wasn't scrawny either as he liked to brag to Gabriella as she was around her brother and sisters' age that he was one of the strongest people in his class; which Gabriella believes still to this day since he was no little person._

_He is six feet exactly and in Gabriella's friends' descriptions: he is HOT! With the slick black hair that is short and stands upright in a prickly position if you ever ran your hand over it, tan skin, dark brown almost black eyes, and an intimidating smirk that he gets on his face whenever things go his way._

_But now Gabriella can't help but take in the gasp of air that she needs for her lungs._

_There's only one person that comes to her mind that could've done this to her dad, and that person is Mr. Johnson. The same person who pulled her into his condo the previous day to 'talk' to her when in secrecy he exclaimed his feelings for her. _

_Gabriella stumbles back and away from his lifeless body that has red stains getting bigger and bigger on his chest, and nearly trips over her own feet while catching herself by holding onto the door handle of what she knows to be her brother's room._

_Her father was stabbed to death, and she's only guessing it's only going to get worse._

BEEP!

_Gabriella pants as she whips around, and away from looking at him. The book that he was presumably reading is laying on the floor near the door with blood spatters on it._

_Where's her brother and sister?!_

BEEP…BEEP!

_She grabs her brother's bed room door; not nearly ready for what is about to lie ahead._

"Turn the damn thing off!" Sharpay exclaims as Gabriella jolts upright in bed before she can even see who was in her brother's room.

It was just a dream...a dream that turned out to be real.

* * *

"I'm sorry, you know, for avoiding you the last couple of days."

The sun is shining. The sky is a nice clear blue without a single trace of hint that it's letting up. It's a Sunday to top it off so that means no classes are to go on that day. The only sporting events that are going on is soccer practice in the morning and basketball practice in the evening.

But that doesn't mean that the students who have things on their minds can be slacking off.

Gabriella and Chad run side by side as Chad looks to be nodding his head in understanding.

"Ah, don't sweat it Montez. You got things on your mind."

Gabriella nearly falls over. Did he know about how Troy almost kissed her the previous day? Did he know how she almost kissed him back?…Of course not. Or if he did, then he wasn't saying that deliberately out loud.

They are on their annual Sunday morning jog which has been moved to lunch time jog since Sunday mornings are filled with soccer.

Gabriella bites her bottom lip as they are jogging on a path in the back of the school; one that leads through one of the forests on a cement path so they don't trip on any roots or anything.

She expected this conversation to be awkward as she really didn't know if her and Chad were to go running that afternoon, but was shocked only a little when he showed up at her door at 11 a.m. to go running since this would be the first conversation they would have by themselves since Gabriella found out about Chad making a move on Taylor.

"You know…if you're mad at anyone…that anyone should be me." Chad mumbles while they pick up their pace absentmindedly.

"No," Gabriella shakes her head, "Taylor has a boyfriend. BOYFRIEND! She shouldn't have responded. She knew exactly what she was doing."

"And I didn't?" Chad asks while raising one dark eye brow as they round a corner and the school comes into view with multiple buildings.

Gabriella stays silent as she ponders this.

It's like Chad and her are in the same position. While he actually did kiss Taylor who has a boyfriend; she almost kissed Troy. She knows that it's wrong but yet it almost happened, and wouldn't it be the person who's in a relationship's responsibility to stop things from escalating any further with anyone else? The person who's in a relationship would be counted as cheating, while Gabriella and Chad would only be counted as the other person.

It's much easier blaming Taylor and Troy then herself and Chad.

* * *

"So you owe me, and I am taking you up on your offer." Sharpay demands while standing outside of the drama room.

Zeke half smiles. "It's not really taking me up on an offer since it's not even an offer to begin with. I OWE you. That's not an offer." Zeke points out.

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "Details, details," she dismisses with a flick of the hand. "Whatever. I need you to come by tonight."

Zeke's eye go wide. "Like…um, your room?"

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "No," she snaps. "To the auditorium. If I wanted you in my room then I would've said 'come by my ROOM'."

Zeke's heart slows down while he musters a smile. He dismisses the fact that he was too nervous when she mentioned her room. Why should he be nervous? He has Taylor.

* * *

Chad and Gabriella stop in their places while stretching out from their jog. Gabriella's sitting on the ground leaning forward to touch her toes while Chad is busy stretching out his calf muscles.

"You know…I find it kind of funny that the whole reason Jason wanted to go out for pizza last night as a gang was because Kelsi and you won your soccer game, but then it was only him, Zeke, and Troy that ended up going. Where were you last night?"

Gabriella doesn't know if he knows what almost happened between her and Troy, and that's why he's prying into the finer details of the other day, or if it's just out of pure curiosity.

Gabriella shrugs while just crossing her legs Indian style to relax on the ground while Chad's still stretching.

"I told Kent I'd meet up with him."

"Ah…" Chad looks at Gabriella with a small knowing nod even though he probably knows something furthest from the truth, but he doesn't get a chance to go into it because a high pitch giggle cuts him off.

Gabriella and him share a puzzled look before turning their attention to the side to see Sharpay and Zeke talking on the drama building steps. He's smiling, and Sharpay's laughing about something, and it's not the I'm-so-much-better-than-you laugh, it's the I'm-somewhat-flirting-with-you giggle.

Chad has two options, A) he can not tell Taylor that Zeke is off with the Ice Princess herself and actually flirting with her, or B) tell her and maybe this information will bring her to realize that he's so much better than Zeke. He likes the later of the two.

Gabriella narrows her eyes on Sharpay. Even though Taylor and her are fighting; that doesn't mean she wants her evil roommate to steal her best friend's boyfriend. Although, there's another downside also: Troy might get hurt. He probably doesn't know Sharpay is out here flirting with one of their friends.

"I have to tell Tay," Chad exclaims suddenly at the same time Gabriella says, "I have to tell Troy."

They both look at each other as the thought that they each want to go to the other person's best friend doesn't even register in their minds.

* * *

"Fancy seeing you here." Gabriella sits down next to the blonde hair boy.

He offers her a half smile as he hasn't been feeling the same ever since his and Kelsi's little talk a couple of days ago about just being friends. But then again, who ever feels the same after finally establishing with your girlfriend of countless months that you're officially over and find out that she might be into your roommate and friend of three years?

No one; that's who!

"Well it is the lunch room, and it is lunchtime," Ryan points out with a bare tone.

Gabriella frowns. "I just…I didn't get to see you after the soccer game yesterday. So I wanted to just make sure that you were alright?"

Ryan sighs, and takes a moment to turn things around. Kelsi isn't even around right now. Why should he be miserable right now when Gabriella did nothing to him?

"Sorry. So what's really up?"

Gabriella's small shoulders go up and then down in a shrug. "Nothing much. Just looking for someone to study with."

Ryan shakes his head regretfully as that is something that will probably take his mind off of Kelsi and Jason for sure. "Can't. Sorry. I have play practice later after lunch."

* * *

"Montez," Jason whispers.

Gabriella rolls her eyes while keeping her eyes glued to the book in front of her since she really does have to study for the upcoming AP History test.

"I know you can hear me," Jason whispers again from across the table and Gabriella looks up impatiently.

"What Jase?!" She isn't in a bad mood, or mad at him. She just wants to get this studying thing over much to Jason's distaste even though he too should be studying.

She shuts her book with a sigh at seeing Jason's soft expression begging for her to just listen to him.

"Do you think Kelsi likes me?"

"GOD!," Gabriella can't help but exclaiming as she pushes her books out of the way on the table. "Is that the 'important' question you really had to ask me?"

Gabriella can't believe that he is even asking this question.

"What?," Jason asks defensively. "My question is a perfectly logical one."

"Yeah, if she didn't totally end things with Ry," Gabriella looks at him slyly. "Which she did by the way."

Jason has a proud smile erupt on his face before it erupts into confusion as to why things have been the way they have been for the past couple of days since they've studied for earth science on Thursday.

"But then why is she avoiding me?"

Gabriella sighs while placing her comforting hand on top of his. "It would be against the girl code as to tell you why Kelsi is the way she is. I can't just tell you that she's acting this way because she doesn't want to ruin yours and Ryan's friendship, and that she told me this last night in confidence because she's too scared to admit it to anyone else," Gabriella slyly says while finishing with a wiggle of the eye brow.

"Right." Jason plays along with Gabriella's not-so-code game.

"And remember: she did not mention this at all."

"Well then…if she didn't mention this at all, did she happen to not mention if she's willing to date me?"

Gabriella shut her eyes already feeling like she gave away too much, but in the long run everything should be able to work out okay, shouldn't it? Because senior year is what's supposed to be a great year. It's a new start for some people like herself, and her friends, so Kelsi should be able to enjoy it with the boy she likes. And if Jason is that boy, then so be it! Who is Gabriella to keep that from happening…even if it is killing another specific blonde hair friend.

"Sorry. That part you're gonna have to work out on your own."

"I knew I could count on you Montez," Jason whispers while standing up and bending close to her ear.

"Jase?," Gabriella calls out before he can fully walk two tables away.

"Yeah?"

Gabriella shuts her eyes for a brief second; trying to push Ryan's feelings out of the way for just a moment. He's still hurting and Gabriella feels responsible for that, but who is she to keep Jason and Kelsi apart?

"Just be careful," Gabriella finally says.

He flashes her a white smile. "Of course Gabi. Right back at'cha."

* * *

"So you're going to a rehearsal?" Troy kinks an eye brow while walking with Sharpay into the general direction of the auditorium. "With Zeke?"

Sharpay shrugs as she finally puts away her phone from texting. "Yeah. Is that a problem?"

It wouldn't be a problem if this wasn't something she's done before. Troy can specifically think back to last year before Christmas break where Sharpay had said the same exact thing when in reality she was really going off to get drunk with the drama club members for a Christmas Party before vacation actually started, and then wound up sleeping with a guy there.

But she's with Zeke so he trusts her. And it's not like Troy's any better as the first time he heard Sharpay did that against his trust; he wound up sleeping with some girl in the neighborhood on vacation. But in some part of Troy it just doesn't make sense. Why can she go off with Zeke, when he isn't technically supposed to go off with Gabriella anymore, (even though everyone knows including Sharpay, that they do,)?

"No. No problem at all, just…never mind."

"What?" Sharpay shoots him daggers; which surprisingly she doesn't even know she's doing.

"It's just…I guess I'm just thinking about last year."

It then dawns on Sharpay that he's thinking about Christmas time. "Oh," her voice goes downwards and then sighs. "I thought we are over that?"

Troy shrugs his shoulders. "WE are as a couple, but I guess I'm just not…do you know what? Never mind."

Sharpay looks at him in curiosity for one second before shrugging her shoulders this time. "Fine."

* * *

Jason looks around the quad expecting somewhere to see the brunette with a sheet of music or something. Maybe it was because of Gabriella's pointing out what kind of a girl Kelsi is, but there's just something about her now that has him interested. Maybe it's the fact that she's different from his usual type: girls-who-don't-know-how-to-hold-up-a-conversation-because-they're-too-busy-talking-about-themselves?

He looks to his left and looks straight ahead again, and away from the water fountain at which in this moment of time Ryan is sitting near with what looks to be a script in hands.

If Ryan didn't see him then Jason doesn't have to make it look like he notices him either. Especially since all Ryan will probably do is glare at him; suspected since Jason has been on the other end of the glaring Ryan does for quite a few days now.

* * *

"When you said you needed my help, I thought you meant by like moving things. NOT holding your script up while you are fitted for costumes," Zeke huffs while kneeling down on his knees since he's too tall to be standing and holding the script at eye level for Sharpay as she's being fitted for clothes.

Sharpay rolls her eyes and taps the script; indicating that she doesn't feel like telling Zeke to turn the page, but she needs it turned NOW.

Zeke rolls his eyes as Sharpay can't even see him doing it, but turns the page nevertheless.

After five more minutes of going through they cycle of Sharpay tapping the pages and Zeke following orders of turning the pages, they're done.

"Wow. Who knew holding a script in the air for an hour could make you hungry?" Zeke joked as he bent over his sports bag he brought and pulls out cookies he just made earlier in the day.

He sees out of the corner of his eye that Sharpay is getting together her purse while stuffing her huge script in, and pulling out little carrot sticks. He also didn't miss the small glance she sent his way.

He turns around and holds out the bag. "Here. Want one? Freshly baked as of today."

Sharpay eyes them dubiously. "Who made them?"

He smiles at her. "I did. Come on. They're a lot better than those things." He takes it upon himself as his job to personally get rid of the carrot sticks and throw them away in the garbage can near them.

Sharpay opens her mouth to demand, 'what the hell do you think you're doing', but finds herself ripping a cookie out of the bag he's offering instead.

* * *

'_Where is she?!,'_ Jason thinks as he's pacing around outside Kelsi's bedroom door.

It's almost 9 o'clock on Sunday night which is their curfew, and Kelsi's not in the room so that means she's bound to show up soon.

He hears giggling and he stops walking. He looks down the hall to see Kelsi and Emma, Sharpay's best friend, coming into view from walking up the stairs. He leans against her doorway and folds his arms over his chest in a cool looking manner when in reality his insides have no idea what's happening, and are all jumbled up.

Kelsi mumbles something to Emma who then disappears behind her own bedroom door; leaving Kelsi and Jason the only ones in the hallway of the long line of dorm rooms.

"Hey," Jason greets while smiling at her.

"Hey. What's up?," Kelsi asks unsurely. "It's almost curfew. You do know that, right?"

Kelsi stands before him as she reaches for her door handle, but he stops her by holding onto her wrist. He smiles just feeling her shiver.

"Jason…what are you doing?"

"It was one week ago that we were in your room and almost kissed."

"Yes. I'm pretty aware of that," Kelsi snaps a little too harshly.

"Is that why you're avoiding me?"

"I'm not--Jason, I'm not avoiding you," Kelsi stumbles over her words. "We see each other in class, and we work two days a week on it."

"Yeah, but that's for SCHOOL. School-the place where we're trapped until mid-June, and then released into the real world," his tone is exasperated as he runs his free hand through this hair that's starting to really need a hair cut.

"Thanks for the dictionary lesson. But what more can you want?"

"Have you talked to Ryan lately?"

"Whoa…that came out of no where. You should hand out a warning next time," Kelsi tries to joke as she tries to subtly pull her wrist out of his grasp since getting inside her room is out of the question unless she wants Jason to sneak in too. But the real question it, does she REALLY want him to sneak in?

"I'm being serious here Kelsi. I just…are you really gonna make me do this?" He questioned suddenly.

Kelsi flinches at his tone with a confused look on her face.

"Make you do what?"

"THIS!," he throws his hands up and then down as if motioning to himself. "This admitting stuff because if you think that I won't do it…then you're wrong."

"Jason--"

"No. Let me finish." He takes a deep breath and looks at her blue eyes with speckles of green in them. Here she is; standing in front of him, and he really has no idea how to tell her that he likes her more than friends, or at least that is what he thinks. "I think I like you," Jason says slowly, as if trying it out on the tongue for the first time.

"Wow," Kelsi breathes out. "Um…," she looks around to see that still, no one is around. Wasn't this what she wants? Somewhere deep inside of her she wants this, but then why does the other part of her still feel guilty about Ryan? Oh yeah…because Jason and him are roommates.

"And I know I told a lot of girls that--"

"Jason…"

He flashes her a charming smile while grabbing her hand again with the both of his. "I probably shouldn't of said that, but…I've told that to a lot of people, and well it never worked out, but you…," he sighs drastically, "you're YOU!"

"But what about Ryan? And Gabi? You used to date her like all of last year," Kelsi thinks of reasons quickly.

Jason shakes his head. "I don't care about Ryan. He's said he's over you," Jason knows that Ryan's far from over Kelsi, but he told everyone he is, so that gives him free range with Kelsi, "and Gabriella couldn't care less. We're like best friends."

Kelsi knows this is true as she doesn't have anything else to use against him, but is she really thinking clearly? Of course not because the dominate part of her wants this too, but she's still feeling guilty.

"Just say yes to one date. We can go out for a movie, some ice cream? I know you like ice cream so you can't say no."

They lock eyes and Jason sees her hesitancy. "Please?"

"…o-okay." Kelsi smiles for the first time since seeing him. There's no going to be avoiding him anymore. "Yeah," she says more confidently, "that sounds great."

They stare at each other for a moment longer than necessary, and Jason can't help his eyes that drift downward to her perfect pink lips, and then back to her eyes.

He leans in some, but she backs up in the small hallway so that her back is against the wall that's behind her. He takes a step forward since that's all that's needed to cage her into the wall.

Her lips are parted slightly as both of their breathing has picked up a little with just the moment. His hands rest against the wall near her hips, but not yet touching her even though he's just itching too.

"Would it be so bad if I did like you?" He whispered huskily.

Kelsi shakes her head slightly, "Not anymore."

His lips curve upwards into a smirk. He nods his head in little cocky motions with a glint in his eyes, "Okay."

He moves his head to the side, and slowly moves in to connect their lips in a slow, soft, and smooth first kiss.

The two are completely oblivious to the brunette who was walking up the stairs to have a talk with Kelsi, but stopped due to she didn't want to make it look like she was spying on them in their 'moment'.

Gabriella turns around quietly and walks down the stairs, still clutching the soccer notebook that has new plays in it that she wants to show Kelsi.

Senior year is supposed to be a great year. But how can it be a great year if her best friend cheated on her eight month boyfriend, her other friend initiated the kiss between Taylor and him, Ryan's going to be even more heartbroken over Kelsi and his roommate, and now Sharpay and Zeke are getting along and she still has to warn Troy about that.

Is this really what senior year is supposed to be like?

And it's only going to get harder.

* * *

**What do you think? Like where it's going because I do. Review please and I'll update soon.**


	19. When You Were Young

_You sit there in your heartache  
Waiting on some beautiful boy to  
To save you from your old ways  
You play forgiveness  
Watch it now  
Here he comes_

_He doesn't look a thing like Jesus  
But he talks like a gentleman  
Like you imagined  
When you were young  
_When You Were Young--The Killers

* * *

"Where is everyone?" A soft voice can be heard over the loud chatter in the Dining hall during breakfast time on a Monday.

Gabriella moves her American Eagle bag off of the seat next to her so Kelsi can sit by her.

Kelsi looks around and sees only Chad who is across from them at the table, Ryan who is sitting next to him, Zeke who is on Ryan's other side, and then Gabriella who is next to her.

"I don't know. It is Monday, but it seems everyone has decided to sleep in," Gabriella comments while looking around and noticing at lest half of the school is at least missing, but then again not everyone eats break fast.

Their table gets even more quieter as Chad had before Kelsi sat down opted not to speak probably due to the boy sitting two seats away; leaving Ryan, Zeke, and Gabriella to talk amongst themselves, but now that Kelsi sat down directly right across from Ryan, the tension's getting thicker and thicker.

"So…what's up Kels," Chad finally breaks the silence.

"Nothing much. Just have some Earth Science to go over later tonight."

"Us too, except Chad who lucks out," Zeke grumbles good heartedly.

Gabriella looks at Kelsi to see her looking down at her food with a smile on her face. Gabriella knows what that smile means, almost everyone did as Kelsi looks to be off in her own little world, and from what Gabriella saw the previous night, she can't blame her.

"Someone looks happy," Chad speaks up again.

"Someone's talking now." Gabriella smiles smugly at Chad as Chad sticks his tongue out childishly.

"Spill Kels," Zeke prompts.

Kelsi's small shoulders go up and down as she plays with the scrambled eggs on her plate. "I'm just…thinking."

Gabriella the whole time Zeke and Chad are bugging Kelsi is looking at Ryan; trying to get a reaction out of him. He doesn't seem too interested in their little squabble until the mention of Jason's name is being thrown around.

"So he finally asked you out," Chad declares with a proud looking smile on his face.

Kelsi's face temperature rises and soon her face is at least six times redder than normal. Gabriella rolls her eyes at Chad's little teasing, but doesn't fail to notice how Ryan's gripping his knife a lot tighter than necessary.

"I have to go," Ryan says in a tone that's a lot harsher than normal.

Kelsi frowns at his retreating back as their table falls silent again.

"So where's Troy again," Zeke asks to change the subject.

* * *

Jason turns over in his bed and groggily opens his left eye.

The sun is shining through the open window while he can hear guy voices out in the hall even though they're not that loud since it's a Monday.

He looks at the numbers on his alarm clock and nearly falls out of bed in surprise, but he contains himself and just jolts upright in bed instead.

He grabs the clock as if it's not true that it's almost 8:00 a.m. which is when his first class starts. He's already missed breakfast, and now he only has according to his clock one minute to get to his multi media class.

He throws his clock down angrily as he knows he set his alarm clock for 7:00 a.m. so he could meet Zeke in the Dining hall, but it just doesn't make sense.

Jason's riffling through his drawers as he knows that he's not gonna be able to take a much needed shower, but what could he do without getting caught by teachers? He can't afford a detention so early into the school year already.

He throws on jeans just as the door opens and Ryan walks in with a smug looking face. "Interesting thing happened this morning," he spoke while looking around the room for his school bag. "I went to breakfast early and I heard the good news."

Jason kinks an eye brow at him. "Which is?"

Ryan looks at him with a huge fake smile on his face. "You and Kelsi man! You finally managed to ask her out!" Ryan claps Jason on the back; numbing Jason into confusion until it dawns on him that Ryan is faking the whole supporting thing.

"So…I just had to come back here and turn off your alarm figuring you didn't get back into the room until late last night, and you'd want your sleep for Kelsi. Because let me tell you, she doesn't appreciate it if you have bags under your eyes man."

Jason's eyes go wide with fury before he shakes his head and continues getting ready figuring he's already going to be late, why not skip the whole class? Screw detention as he isn't going to let Ryan get to him. He's the one with the girl now, and he's not gonna blow it.

"Evans," Jason beckons while bumping shoulders with him to get to the door. "it's gonna take a lot to get me pissed off, and turning off my alarm clock isn't a lot."

* * *

Zeke sighs nosily as the ringing continues and he's left with no other options but to leave a message. He shuts his phone a little more harder than usual as he doesn't feel like leaving one for the tenth time in three days.

He never thought of himself as the kind of guy who gets easily tempered when things don't go his way, but here he is now; pacing around outside her first class's building.

Where the hell is his girlfriend?!

Something is seriously off about this whole relationship he has with her; ever since the party Chad threw in the girls' dorm. He wasn't going to confront her on it, but now he feels like he has too. They tell each other that they love one another, and then all of a sudden she never seems to have time for him, and he doesn't want to come off as being too selfish around Taylor, but he has to bring the problem up.

"Zeke?" A voice brings Zeke out of his thoughts and despite his recent thoughts, he can't help the smile on his face.

"Hey Tay. I was just looking for you. I tried calling first."

Taylor separates herself from the group of girls she was walking with, and walks over to him.

"Yeah. I think my cell is broken or something." Taylor looks at him in curiosity. "What's up?"

Zeke sighs while looking Taylor over and noticing that she just doesn't have that certain glow to her anymore. When she smiles it doesn't reach her upper cheeks and eyes. She looks almost in pain when she's around him as that adds to her nervous features too.

"I don't really know how to say this," Zeke starts off slowly.

"You can tell me anything," It isn't a lie, but Taylor still feels guilt in the bottom of her stomach, but it's getting smaller and smaller each day and she knows that if she distances herself from Chad and Zeke for any longer than she can forget about that kiss, and then move on with Zeke. Just like it's suppose to be.

Zeke sighs again and Taylor's getting really worried. Maybe he heard rumors about Chad and her, (not that she's heard any herself), but it's possible and she's putting herself on high alert.

"Okay," Zeke breathes out and then just throws himself into explaining what he's thinking. "I might be overreacting a little bit, so don't taken any offense in this. Because like I said, I MIGHT be overreacting just a little, little bit." Zeke indicates just how little with his thumb and index finger clinched together. "But--something's off. Something between us is just off nowadays, and I really didn't want to bring this up, but…do you know what I'm getting at?"

Taylor looks like a fish out of the water as she's racking her mind as to what to say to explain how her mind caved in on her for those three minutes of being with Chad. How her body had no control while it was being caged in against the cold building. But nothing seems right about how to tell him what went wrong.

"Obviously not, but Tay," he reaches out and takes her hand in his, "is everything okay with you? You know you can come to me if anything happens at all. You know, I mean ANYTHING at all. Like if something's wrong with your family, I know how much your parents and you fight, or if something's wrong with your older sis?"

"N-no," Taylor stutters with a clear indication that she's uncomfortable.

"Maybe it's just me being well…worried, but…we're not seeing each other all that often anymore. I think I'm talking to my teachers more than I talk to my girlfriend. See how messed up that is?"

"…Yeah," Taylor admits sheepishly as she avoids his eyes by looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry. I've just been a little busy, but I swear, my project for Spanish is almost done with Chad, and then we'll have those nights to ourselves."

Zeke smiles a little, but it just doesn't seem good enough; like she isn't seeing what truly is wrong with the picture.

"Okay. Yeah, but…you're not like weirded out because of our 8 month anniversary dinner, are you? Because if I made you say the 'L' word too soon, then I'm sorry, and I'll totally understand if you--"

Taylor cuts him off with a soft kiss to the lips in which they actually haven't done in a while now. She feels bad, but she's gonna start making an effort in spending time with him again. Pretty soon the guilty feeling should go away, and everything will be better.

"I love you Zeke." It's not a lie, no matter if it's a friend love, brother love, or boyfriend love. She just has to figure out which love it is.

* * *

Jason asks, "So uh…what are we doing," as he slides into his seat next to Gabriella halfway during their second class of the day.

"Reading," Gabriella mutters out of the side of her mouth. She waits until Jason at least picks up his book that the class is suppose to be silently reading until she starts questioning him. "Where were you? Women Writers started twenty minutes ago," Gabriella points out.

Jason looks over his shoulder to see that the teacher still had her back to them while reaching up into a closet in an attempt to bring down a heavy box. He flips his book open to a random page as he only took this class because Gabriella wanted to last year when they were dating.

"I had a run in with someone."

He doesn't elaborate who, but Gabriella has a pretty good idea. She looks him over and takes in his loose fitting washed out jeans, wrinkly maroon cotton t-shirt, and his messed up hair that tells her that he probably slept in and missed his first class too.

"You want to tell me who that someone is?"

Jason sighs while running a tired hand through his hair. "Let's see, I'll give you three hints. 1) he is always glaring nowadays, and I'm on the receiving end of that, 2) he is insanely jealous of me, even though he won't admit it to anyone, and 3) this one might not be that big of a deal, but--OH YEAH, he's my roommate!," Jason hisses.

"What happened between you and Ryan this time?"

"I don't really know…other than the fact that he HATES me," Jason exclaims in a hushed whisper still, "he has taken it upon himself to decide when I should wake up early or late."

Gabriella shrinks back in her seat at his tone. "Sorry," she mumbles.

Jason sighs while putting his book down; not even bothering to hide the fact that he snuck into class late and isn't reading the material the teacher assigned in the first place.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be this upset. I mean, what did I expect? After you suggested that I date Kelsi, you did warn me that this would happen, and well…it's happening. He officially hates me."

Gabriella sighs while putting her hand over his in a friendly comforting way. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I just am."

* * *

"You're just not listening," he insists while rushing to catch up to her strutting.

"I don't get what's so hard to believe that I'm actually going to the cooking building?"

Troy sighs while running a hand through his hair along with taking long strides to keep up with his girlfriend. "I'm trying to ask you something and you're just not getting it!"

Sharpay stops abruptly. "Troysie," she ruffles his hair a little while cooing at him, "I need something from Zeke and he's cooking during free period. Hence why I'm going to meet him in the cooking building."

Troy rolls his eyes while shaking his head. He doesn't have time for this. He's suppose to be heading over to the art building for class with Gabriella. They're drawing each other for a project and then showing the class or something in a type of 'art show'.

"See," he exclaims as if it makes perfect sense. "You're totally missing the point! YOU usually go to drama during free period, and now you all of a sudden have time to go to the cooking building?"

"What do you think is going to happen Troy," Sharpay snaps. "I thought you trust me? Plus he is your friend, and he's dating McKessie or something."

"But I still don't get it. What could you possibly need from Zeke?" Troy doesn't mean for it to sound like Zeke has nothing to offer, but what is his girlfriend up too?

"I have to go. I don't have time for you," Sharpay snaps harshly and Troy feels his eyes go darker in anger.

"_Funny_ Shar. _Real funny_." You can hear the sarcasm from miles away. "You make me rearrange my things, you get mad when I want to go out with friends even though you're never around because of drama, and you can't even make it to one basketball event, BUT YET, I have been to countless drama productions, shopping trips, and family dinners!"

Troy looks around and kids are starting to stare as he's creating a scene on the cooking building's steps.

Sharpay looks around with nervousness on her face; which is a rare occasion whenever it happens no matter what the given situation.

"_Troy,_" she hisses, "you're having a fit!" Her teeth are barred and her eyes are going lighter and lighter to a gray.

"I'm not having a fit. I'm agreeing with you." Sharpay looks taken aback. "You're right; you don't have time for me."

Troy flashes her a mocking smile as he turns his back and walks away. Maybe he's just spending too much time with her? Even though they hardly see each other as it is, but something she said just sent him off in a downward spiral, and his thinking can only get worse.

Sharpay looks around as kids are still staring, and she sends them death glares. She stomps her foot while crossing her arms over her chest and making a 'humph' sound while pouting.

* * *

Gabriella curses herself mentally as she's sitting on the rock out in her 'safe haven'. How could she have been so stupid?!

Ryan is so devastated and it's her fault. Well…technically it isn't since she's not the one who's going out on a date with Kelsi this Friday, and Jason is, but still…she's the one who suggested to Jason that Kelsi and him would be perfect together. And Ryan's obviously still hurt by it. Even though it hasn't even been a day since Jason has asked Kelsi out, but it seemed to Gabriella that the whole school knew by Monday's breakfast time.

"Figures I'd find you here," a voice brings Gabriella out of her thoughts of self destruction.

Gabriella turns her head to see Troy walking up to her and she scoots over on the rock absentmindedly so he can sit down.

"Art class just isn't art class if the person who I'm supposed to be drawing isn't there." Troy laughs at his light mood which seems to contradict his yelling fit he had with Sharpay not even forty minutes before, but then stops while seeing that Gabriella is just staring out into the open cliff in front of them. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Just thinking," Gabriella says nonchalantly; although Troy can detect something else is up besides just thinking because it's not like Gabriella to just skip class.

"Um…you want to," he looks around as if expecting to see that they're not alone, but they are which is the first time since Saturday's soccer scrimmage, "uh…talk about it?" Troy finished in an awkward tone.

Gabriella stiffens on the rock as she feels Troy's arm brush against hers. "No thanks."

Troy shrugs as he kicks a pebble with the toe of his shoe. "You hear about Jason and Kelsi? Man, I never thought those two would be together."

"…yeah."

Troy smiles almost cockily as he turns to look at Gabriella full on. "Is that what's wrong? Are you jealous?"

"What?!," Gabriella exclaims. "No! It's far from that." Gabriella can't help the words pouring out. Someone has to listen and she knows she can't wait until Wednesday for her next session with the counselor. "It's just Ryan's going to be really devastated."

"Ryan's a big boy Brie," Troy reminds her softly.

"It's not just that," Gabriella says a little too harshly as her dark chocolate eyes connect with his blue ones. "It's a whole lot more! I'm the one who suggested that to Jase! Ryan is miserable because of ME! Plus, it's only a matter of time before things escalate between Jason's and Ryan's little staring contests for something to break out and get them hurt! But if that's not bad enough, then Ryan's gonna figure out it was me who suggested Kelsi to Jason! Then he'll hate me too! See? It's horrible."

"Brie--" Troy is cut off.

Gabriella can't stop rambling as it's like someone's uncapped something and can't shut it. "But if that's not bad enough, then don't forget our friends Taylor, Chad, and Zeke!"

Troy has no idea what to do during Gabriella's little melt down. Should he put his arm around her to try to comfort her and her distress?

"Hey…," Troy soothes while Gabriella doesn't seem to be paying any attention to him, but nonetheless she stopped talking to take a much needed breath. His hands hesitantly move in the general direction of her small shoulders, but stop mid air as she readjusts her body on the boulder.

In everything that's gone on lately what with basketball, school work, being with Gabriella, and being with Sharpay, Troy's put the Chad/Taylor/Zeke triangle in the back of his mind for the time being.

Gabriella sighs in frustration as Troy decides that it doesn't matter that she rejected him two days ago when they both almost slipped up all the way after the soccer game; he's going to comfort her.

He lowers his hands and pulls her body into his side.

"What about them," he questions softly.

She turns her head suddenly and her eyes catch Troy's. She's breathing a little heavily from her ranting, and she's not even done complaining about her fight with Taylor, and Sharpay and Zeke's new dangerous friendship.

Gabriella momentarily forgot what she was going to say just because of the intense gaze his eyes are sending her. His warm hands slip off from her shoulders, but travel down the sides of her body as he keeps one arm around her to keep her glued into his side.

Gabriella knows this is wrong, but for once she doesn't care. She can't keep her eyes from glancing down to his lips and then back up to his eyes again. There's something different, but she can't quite pinpoint it.

He leans forward so his forehead is pressed against her and they can feel each other's breath through the thick air.

This time it's Gabriella who initiates the kiss by tilting her head to the side and pressing her body against his even more. She lifts herself up some so their noses rub against each other before their lips connect.

Her eyes flutter close as Troy's hand that's farthest away from Gabriella reaches up slowly and twines itself in her dark locks.

All her barriers are broken down as she's worked over the last couple of months to put them back up again. She's gotten close to only a couple of guys, she's kissed more than what she probably should have, even though most of them were in a friendly way, but this is the first time since the previous March that she's truly let herself kiss someone, and it's with her roommate's boyfriend of three years. _Just great._

Hands claw at each other while Troy takes the dominant role and positions himself so he's laying halfway on and halfway off of Gabriella's small body that's curving itself into the big boulder.

The once started soft kiss quickly turns into a furious one as their mouths move desperately against one another's.

"God Brie…" Troy moans while pulling back only enough to take a much needed breath.

Gabriella's speechless as her eyes go wide in shock at what she just committed. It only took this one kiss to show her what Taylor must have been feeling when she kissed Chad as temptation got the better of them.

She rolls out from underneath Troy without spoken explanation as Troy's body which has most of it's weight leaning forward, and the only thing that was stopping him from falling face first into the boulder was Gabriella's body, is now gone, letting Troy do just that.

He groans while sitting up and rubbing his forehead. "Brie?"

Gabriella backs away slowly with tears glossing over in her eyes. She's scared for a lot of reasons. A) she just became a hypocrite of her own word, B) if anyone found out about this, Sharpay would be devastated, and even though Gabriella doesn't like her, no one deserved this, C) everything feels out of control. She spent her whole summer reconstructing her life, and to get control back into it, and in just thirty seconds it was all taken away.

"What did we do," Gabriella asks herself quietly.

"Brie, just--stop," Troy commands as he stands up and Gabriella momentarily listens to him, and she freezes in her spot. He rakes a hand through his hair while swallowing a sigh. "I know this looks bad, but--"

"TROY!," Gabriella shrieks. "This just doesn't look bad! It LOOKS, SOUNDS, SMELLS, FEELS, and TASTES bad! We just--and I--and you."

Troy would have laughed if this wasn't a serious topic, but maybe this is his opening that he's been waiting for? Maybe his safety net doesn't matter anymore? He was supposed to have that fight with Sharpay that morning, and now this happens; it's fate.

"Brie, it's gonna be okay."

Gabriella starts backing up again as Troy starts advancing slowly. "No. No it's not because you're YOU, and I'm ME! It's not gonna be okay Troy," she exclaims desperately.

No, his safety net was torn a while ago when Sharpay cheated on him first back in sophomore year. It doesn't matter anymore; especially since Gabriella kissed him back.

"Yes Brie--yes it is gonna be okay," Troy insists in a hard tone; indicating how serious he is about this.

Gabriella keeps backing up as Troy stops in his tracks; waiting to see if she'll come back to him. But who is he kidding? Gabriella's obviously freaking out right now, and he's not the one she'll go to for comfort at the time being.

"How can you make yourself sound so sure," she questions softly.

Troy shrugs his shoulders. "Because it's been over between Sharpay and me for quite a while now." He just hasn't gotten around to telling Sharpay this.

Gabriella stops all of a sudden and Troy is pretty sure that she's about to fall, but she catches herself from the sudden stop of movement.

"Wh--what," she gasps.

He walks up to her as she's too frozen by his words. "Yeah," his voice picks up in excitement. It's gonna be over between them, and he can free himself of his 'safety net' even though he's not so certain anymore that she even was one to him. Maybe his safety net was in front of him all these years occupying a brunette girl who sits next to him in art? "It's gonna be over between us."

"It _is_ over? Or it's _gonna _be over?"

Troy slowly reaches up and strokes her cheek. "Gonna be."

That must have been the wrong answer because Gabriella rips herself away from him. "Stay away from me Troy Bolton."

She's the other woman, and that's something she promised herself would never happen. She needs Taylor. She needs Jason. She needs someone who will tell her what a HUGE mistake she just made with Troy because at the time, that's the only thing that will ease her guilt settling in her stomach. She needs someone to yell at her. To scold her for being foolish.

"Brie--" he reaches out for her.

"I mean it Troy! Stay away from me!" Gabriella turns around and runs as fast as her track legs can take her away from the blue eyed boy who's speechless.

* * *

Taylor walks down the hallway that reminds her of the hospital with the bright lights, the paint that's too white, and the floors are squeaky clean, but then again the floors have to be clean in order to pass the health code test for cooking.

Normally she would be off with Gabriella during their free period, but now she finds herself walking down the third floor of the cooking building where Zeke usually is. She remembers coming here all the time when they first started dating as a 'little get away' from school, but as this school year started she just kind of fell out of the habit.

But things are going to change. She's switching her determined focus; she's gonna switch some of her focuses off of her studies, which is a lot, and switch it over so she has more time with Zeke. He deserves that and she doesn't want to start more fights between them.

She nears his cooking class door and is about to make herself known, but she freezes with only half of her body in view of the open door.

Her face contorts into confusion as she sees the Ice Princess sitting on top of the white counters, something Zeke has scolded her multiple times not to do, filing her nails while going on and on about something that happened with her and Troy that day, and from what Taylor can tell, it wasn't pleasant. They must've gotten into a fight too.

Taylor slowly backs away from any view as Zeke is too occupied in putting even amounts of balls of dough on a cookie sheet and listening to Sharpay to even notice another presence in the doorway.

What is he doing? That's their spot together!

Taylor rushes down the stairs and hurries to the building's doors as fast as she can without letting her tears spill down her cheeks. Why did he bring Sharpay to their spot?!

Even though she hasn't been around lately, does Zeke really feel like she has no time for him so he has to resort to befriending the girl their group of friends has tried to stay away from in the last three years?

He didn't even tell her that the two of them were going to be together that free period. She at least tells him when she's meeting Chad to study for a project, but then again she ended up kissing Chad. But it still didn't matter as Zeke is doing this without knowing what Taylor and Chad did together, and it doesn't stop Taylor from feeling betrayed that he took Sharpay to their spot.

Their spot is supposed to be that classroom. That's where they had their first major make out session in between cookie batches, but obviously Zeke didn't really think that highly of their spot anymore.

"Tay?," a soft voice calls and Taylor immediately straightens up by wiping the tears away before falling down onto the building's steps lazily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing Gabriella," Taylor sniffles as Gabriella takes a seat closer to her and puts an arm around her.

"I don't call this nothing. Now tell me what's wrong."

Taylor leans her head on her best friend's shoulder even though they're still technically in a disagreement, but it seems to Taylor that Gabriella doesn't care right now, and so neither should she.

"I saw Zeke and Sharpay together," Taylor says sheepishly as her eyes are now dry.

Gabriella tenses up as her arm still stays around Taylor's shoulders. "To--together? Like together-together?"

"You're gonna think I'm overreacting; especially after what I did with Chad."

Gabriella shakes her head in disagreement. "Tay, I'm your best friend. I'm always gonna be on your side; no matter if it seems like I am or not, but I'm always gonna be here for you. So…what's up?"

"It's just…I know I'm hurting Zeke without him actually knowing, but now he's in there with the Ice Princess!"

"In where?," Gabriella's soft voice asks with skepticism towards this whole conversation.

"In there! In _there!_ In our spot while he's _cooking_!"

Taylor's getting worked up again and Gabriella can sense it as she's sniffling even more now. "Okay," her voice soothes, "okay, let's just take a deep breath here. In. Out. In. Out."

"I'm not pregnant Gabi," Taylor says in a deadpanned tone, but laughs a little which puts a smile on Gabriella's face even though Taylor can't see.

"What were they doing," Gabriella asks slowly as if afraid. Her brown eyes get darker just thinking about Sharpay now.

"He was cooking, and she just kept going on and on about how her and Troy got into some fight? What if she thinks that she can automatically go after Zeke just because Troy and her aren't together?"

Gabriella sighs while shutting her eyes in emotional pain. "They're still together."

Taylor lifts her head. "How do you know?"

"Let's just say," Gabriella can't help her voice from cracking, "I made a mistake too."

Taylor's mouth drops open in shock, but she quickly closes it. "Oh Gabi." She throws her arms around Gabriella again and they hug. They forget the fight they had over Chad and Zeke as their friendship has been through multiple mini-fights like that before. "how did we get into these messes?"

Gabriella laughs a little and pulls back so they can see each other. "One answer: boys suck!"


	20. Hey Brittany

_So where do we go?  
Where do we go  
(when you just have to fight to be alone)  
You cannot know, you will not know  
_Hey Brittany--Forever the Sickest Kids

* * *

"So I was thinking…did you really have your mind set for a movie Friday?"

Kelsi looks up with concern, but hides it as she's hoping her face doesn't show too much disappointment. Who is she kidding? Of course Jason is going to back out of their plans.

She pushes her earth science text book out of the way and shakes her head no. "No. It's okay, I didn't really want to go out either."

Jason's head shoots up in alarm; not caring that the library is packed on a Monday night and that kids are staring now because of his sudden movement. "Wh--what?," he stammers.

Kelsi's small shoulders go up and then down in a shrug. "Yeah," she's doing everything she can to keep the hurt out of her voice, "I totally understand. Don't worry about it. Now I'll have Friday open for…," she racks her mind for something, "something else."

"Where did this come from?!" Jason exclaims as he catches the librarians eye from the front of the library and he talks in a hushed whisper. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go mini golfing instead since everyone goes to the movies on Friday. I wasn't canceling…unless you are canceling. Are you canceling?"

Kelsi breathes a sigh of relief. "No. I'm not canceling. I thought you were," she accuses with a small relieved chuckle.

Jason feels his heart rate slow. "Like I would cancel on you," he says sarcastically. "But is mini golfing okay?"

Kelsi smiles shyly. "Only if we still get ice cream afterwards."

Jason smiles while slowly letting relief fill his mind. "Deal."

* * *

"Hey you," a soft flirtatious voice floats through the library air. "I didn't expect to find you here by yourself when I came to return my overdue biology book."

Ryan smiles at Emma, but contains his confusion as usually she was never this 'flirty'. Emma giggles a little as he just smiles.

"So you get stuck doing earth science while your partners…?" she lets the sentence linger.

"Playing play station," he fills in with a grumble. He shuffles his papers about to make it look like he's busy when in reality all he wanted to do is go and do anything other than having to be in the library which occupies Kelsi and Jason various tables over.

Emma smiles sweetly at him and Ryan can't help but notice that this is the girl he knows. Not some flirty, giggly blonde girl who randomly shows up.

And that's when it all makes sense.

"Wait. What are you doing here," he narrows his eyes in suspicion as Emma shrugs her small shoulders and a small blush appears. "Come on. I know something's up. Spill."

"I really did have to return my biology book, but--" Ryan sends her a pointed look. "Okay, so I really didn't have that as my first priority. If you really must know…I saw my ex. You know Brad? He plays basketball with some of your friends, and well I just slipped in here because I didn't want him to see me, and then that's when I remembered I had my book with me."

Ryan nods his head in a knowing way. He had heard plenty of Sharpay's one sided conversations while she was on the phone with Emma over the summer trying to help her through the break up with Brad.

"Need any help with your project?"

"Nope. I'm just gonna leave the rest for Zeke to do next week. My time's up." Ryan starts to gather his things and sees Emma glance worriedly over her shoulder.

His eyes then travel over to the library's half where Kelsi is sitting with Jason. She has a smile on her face, but he quickly looks away so she doesn't see him staring.

"You want something to drink?" Ryan asks suddenly.

Emma smiles at him as she pushes her thin blonde hair behind her ear so she can see. "Yeah."

"Great."

* * *

What the hell is he doing? Gabriella's probably waiting for him in the library and he's already thirty minutes late! How hard is it for him to get up and off of his bed and away from the TV that's showing new music videos of the year.

But he can't face her. She had her time to freak out, and now it's finally sinking into his mind that they actually kissed. There's no denying it: he's scared shitless.

He knows he should do something as he has plenty of options, but if he makes even one wrong choice, then it can all fall apart. He can's lose Gabriella, that part he is sure of, and even though he should be thinking about Sharpay and her feelings, there's no denying it to himself and others: he doesn't love her, and he's not quite sure if he ever did.

Kissing Gabriella was an eye opener, and now he's scared as things are definitely changing.

* * *

Gabriella taps her pen noisily for what seems like the hundredth time; that is until she gathered her things and walked hastily out of the library.

In ways it's good that he didn't show up, but in others, it isn't. She isn't going to let her grade for earth science suffer just because they both slipped up.

But then the dreaded thought came into her mind. Where is Troy Bolton? There's multiple answers to that, but only one came floating into Gabriella's mind. What if he was breaking up with Sharpay and telling her all about how Gabriella kissed him and now Sharpay's busy throwing a tantrum and burning Gabriella's things? What if Sharpay's out for murder now?

Gabriella picks up her pace as she slings her bag over her shoulders and rushes out of the building. She looks around and then decided that she needs to know where he is. She can't let him tell Sharpay about their kiss. No one needs a murderous blonde on their hands.

Gabriella rushes to the third floor of the boys' dorm and pounds on the door. "TROY! TROY!"

"Good God woman, we're coming!" She can hear Chad shout to her. Seconds later Chad opens the door, blocking her way into the room.

Before Chad can even say anything Gabriella cuts in. "Where is he?!"

"Where's who?" He plays dumb.

Gabriella glares at him. She leans up and tries to look past his shoulder. "Where is he Chad? I presume he told you all about it, right?" Gabriella can't keep the hysterical sound out of her voice. "I mean, that's what you guys do. Talk about things like that, so where is he?"

"By 'he', do you mean Bolton?"

Gabriella rolls her eyes. "Is he here or not? Because he was supposed to be in the library like forty minutes ago."

Chad steps aside with a lazy smile on his face. Gabriella walks into the room and sees Troy flicking through the TV stations as if it was a regular night.

Gabriella automatically feels a wave of relief that he is in his room other than hers with Sharpay.

"I wouldn't bug him though. He'll snap at you," Chad whispers while Troy's eyes snap up and connect with Gabriella's brown ones.

It isn't hard to miss the tension in the room as Chad looks between the two.

"So…I'm just gonna go…you know…study, or something." He quickly grabs his jacket and heads out of the room; quickly sending a smile Gabriella's and Troy's way. Once the door closes again, things are silent.

Gabriella shuffles in her spot nervously as Troy flicks off the TV and just stares at her.

"I thought you wanted me to stay away?"

Gabriella walks further into the room as you can tell both of them feel awkward about this whole thing. "About that…you see, I was just wondering…never mind." She can leave now. She knows where he is, and now she can leave and get rid of the crazy thoughts in her mind.

Troy sits up some and then leans back against the wall his bed is pushed up against; unintentionally letting the shirt he is wearing ride up a little so Gabriella sees some of his muscular abdomen.

Gabriella knows that she should leave, but there's just something about his eyes that attract her, but she would never admit that out loud.

They stare at each other for minutes; each wondering what the other one is thinking. Troy wondering if Gabriella is still freaking out, but he decided back in the woods from where Gabriella left him that he isn't going to care, but he can't help it. Just looking at her he looses all his senses.

"I'm still doing it," Troy blurts out.

Gabriella already knows what he's talking about. "Doing…um…doing what?"

Troy narrows his eyes some. "You know what." Gabriella still gives him the innocent look. "I'm breaking up with her."

"If you wish," Gabriella says nonchalantly, but in reality her heart rates speeds up to the point where Gabriella is sure that Troy can hear.

There's a silence again.

"I'm sorry," she states.

"For what?"

"You wouldn't be breaking up with her if it wasn't for me. I mean, I won't tell her, if that's what you're worried about? I know how much you mean to her, and it's my fault that this is happening."

"I'm not pulling a Taylor. I'm gonna tell Sharpay the truth," he sees the panic cross Gabriella's face as he says this. He offers her a small smile as he looks her over wearing short black shorts, and a simple red t-shirt, but she still looks beautiful to him.

"Which is?" Gabriella croaks out as she can't keep the picture of Sharpay murdering her out of her head.

"That I don't love her," he answers simply. "That I love--"

"Don't finish that," Gabriella snaps a little too harshly.

"Why not?"

"Because you can't possible love me after one kiss. After one very, VERY forbidden kiss, you can't know that!"

Things are so messed up that another silence overtakes them. Gabriella stands awkwardly near the door with her back pressed up against it from just hearing Troy almost saying that he loves her. Troy's sitting up now on the bed, his legs over the edge of the bed and on the floor.

Gabriella notices how tired Troy actually looks as he's rubbing his temples with his thumbs and index fingers.

"Would it be so bad if I did love you?" Troy's soft and wary voice speaks out.

"Troy!" Gabriella can't help her voice from shrieking. This isn't right. He's still with Sharpay and he's pronouncing his love for her? She has no control of the situation whatsoever, and that's never good. "Yes. It would be bad."

He stands up and just looks at her. His blue eyes don't have that sparkle that everyone's so used to seeing. "I can't stop thinking about you," he admits.

"This isn't right. You're with Sharpay, and you just got into a fight with her. You're emotions are all mixed up right now. You have no idea who you love."

"I told you. I'm breaking up with her."

Gabriella sighs tiredly and she takes a couple of steps closer to Troy. Her tone is a lot softer now as she's trying to calm herself. "You're a teenage boy. What you're feeling isn't love."

"How would you know? Ever since I met you I've always…felt something." He looks at her as he's close enough to reach out and touch her. "I don't know how to explain it. I'm not good talking about it, but it's real. And after today I've realized I can't keep leading Sharpay on like this."

"Oh God," she breathes out shakily. "Oh God…Oh God…Oh God…we're gonna go to hell. You know that, right?" She demands.

He offers her a small smile. "I'm supposed to pick her up for breakfast tomorrow morning. I'm gonna do it then."

Gabriella can't find her voice. She's not ready for this. If anyone's leading someone on than it's her with Troy. "No."

It was one little word. One little word that swept Troy's smile off of his face.

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"It means how it sounds. No." She licks her bottom lip to moisten it and Troy can't help but stare. "Please don't do this. Not for me at least. If you're breaking up with Sharpay just for me, then don't."

"But don't you get it! I want to be with you! The timing is perfect. You're not with anyone, and I'm not gonna be. No one will be able to interrupt us Brie."

"I'm not ready Troy!" Why doesn't he just understand? Gabriella closes her eyes to block out the tears that want to make their way down her cheeks. Just thinking about the previous year has that effect on her, and as long as she's still trying to get over it, she's not gonna put herself in another position where she's going to get hurt. "You're the one who doesn't get it Troy! Not me! YOU! I refuse to get hurt again. It's too soon," she admits quietly.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I would never intentionally hurt you," he says sincerely.

Gabriella takes a couple of more steps forward and takes Troy's hand in her own for comfort. "How can I make you understand?" She whispers. She sighs while thinking; absentmindedly playing with his fingers on the one hand that she's holding. "After last year, I still can't even talk about it. But I know one thing: I'm not ready for this. Okay? Just trust me on this, please."

Troy nods his head a little. "Where does this put us?" he questions softly.

"As friends. Art partners. Earth science partners. The list could go on and on."

"…Okay. We're friends then," it's breaking his heart as he came so close; closer than he's ever been in three years, and now just because of the previous year, he's floating farther and farther away now. "But I'm still breaking up with Sharpay."

Gabriella shuts her eyes, and he gently cups her cheek in his hand. "Okay, but only if you promise that it's not just because of me."

Troy hesitates for a moment, but nods his head nonetheless. "I promise."

* * *

"Oh well…this is as good as I'm gonna get." She sighs in a disappointed way, but yet the same perky little smile is on her face. "You wonder how I look so good when no one on this floor can sleep because of your yelling Montez," Sharpay snaps while putting away her make up next to the vanity mirror they have in their room.

"I don't wonder," Gabriella snaps back. Usually she wouldn't let herself get so worked up by Sharpay's little comments that shouldn't really mean anything to Gabriella because that's just who Sharpay is, but after comforting Taylor the day before, and then telling Troy about it the other night after they established that they can only be friends, Gabriella felt furious as she got to listen to Troy's stories and how this is just common Sharpay.

Sharpay narrows her eyes and both sets of brown eyes lock through the mirror as Gabriella is by her bed combing her hair.

"Yeah? Well you should. You're serious bothering everyone with your constant screaming in your sleep. It's creepy too."

Gabriella narrows her eyes even more as she grips the hair brush harder so her one knuckle turns white. "Fine. I'll buy you ear plugs. Big orange ones," Gabriella snaps back.

"What's up your ass?" Sharpay asks as she stands up and starts to put on her jacket.

"Other than the fact that my best friend saw her boyfriend with you yesterday, nothing." Gabriella sees Sharpay's face go into shock for only a second, as Sharpay probably doesn't even want Gabriella to see that she is actually capable of showing some other emotion besides anger, but the shock is gone and that gets Gabriella even more mad. "Yeah! Taylor saw you two, and I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but stay away from Zeke," Gabriella warns as she throws her hair brush down on the bed and starts to slip on her sweatshirt since it's raining out on that humid day.

Sharpay doesn't say anything for a while as each girl continues to get dressed, but something's different. Is Sharpay actually speechless that Gabriella actually called her out on her own game before it could actually start?

"What?" Gabriella asks harshly as she sees Sharpay staring at her with venom in her gray eyes.

"Why are you so concerned about me and Zeke when in reality people should be more concerned about you?"

Gabriella is taken aback by this as she surely didn't see Sharpay saying this. "Wh--what?" She stutters stupidly as the color drains from her face for a second.

Sharpay kinks a perfectly manicured eye brow with a smirk. "You heard me. Me and Zeke should be the least of your problems when I know that you're just waiting for me to slip up so you can have Troy all to yourself."

"Wh--what?" Gabriella repeats again in a meek voice. She definitely didn't see this coming.

"Exactly. You think just because me and Troy got into a small, _small_ fight yesterday that I'm moving on, but no. I would think again Montez. You're just waiting to find something that will make it look like I'm cheating, and then you'll tell Troy, and then you'll have him all to yourself. I bet you're even wishing I'd steal Zeke away from Taylor already so you can make _your_ move."

Gabriella's face is pale, her hands are sweating in the little fists she has them in to keep herself from lunging at Sharpay, and she's having trouble forming words, but everything seems to stop moving as there's a knock on the door and Sharpay sends her one last smirk before opening the door and inviting Troy into the room.

Gabriella's face goes even paler if that's even possible as she knows what he's about to do.

"Shar…we have to talk," she hears him say as she's still in the room!

"If it's about yesterday, forget it." Sharpay looks over her shoulder for less than a second and sends Gabriella a smirk with a glint in her eyes. "I forgive you baby."

Troy forces a smile on his face while Sharpay presses a kiss sloppily to his mouth. "Ye--yeah."

Gabriella can't let him do this, or else she's really gonna get hell from Sharpay. Even though everyone knows that if it did come down to a fight Gabriella could win, but she isn't feeling up to a fight with Sharpay when she knows that she deserves whatever Sharpay would do to her.

"We have to talk," Gabriella hears Troy state again as Sharpay's back is to Gabriella, but she can perfectly see Troy's troubled face.

She waves her arms; flailing them everywhere hoping that Troy would somehow see these motions.

"What about sweetie?" Sharpay coos in a babyish tone.

Gabriella lets out a small inaudible squeak that Sharpay seems oblivious too as Gabriella can just picture her with a victorious smirk on her face; thinking that Troy wants to talk to her and not Gabriella, but Gabriella knew differently.

Gabriella continues flailing her arms as Troy's staring deeply in Sharpay's eyes; not getting that Gabriella is signaling to him. She looks around desperately.

"I have to tell you something," Troy starts out slowly.

Gabriella stomps her foot impatiently as this only get Troy's attention and not Sharpay's. Gabriella wants to grin victoriously, but there's no time. She shakes her head no, and Troy just looks at her confused.

"Well…what is it baby? We're gonna miss breakfast," Sharpay's hands go up to Troy's polo collar and fixes it even though Gabriella's pretty sure he had his collar straight up like that on purpose.

'No' she mouths to Troy while shaking her head from side to side slowly. 'No.'

"Baby? Troy?" Sharpay asks impatiently now as she just realizes he's not even looking at her, but looking at Gabriella.

She quickly turns on her heel and glares at Gabriella as if Gabriella was spoiling the moment. "Um…" Gabriella clears her throat while looking around and grabs her schoolbag in a hurry. "You guys better get going soon. Breakfast is very important." She tried to warn to him.

Gabriella rushes out of the room with a slight blush to her cheeks now. At least she tried to stop him. Although she did look like a complete idiot.

"What is it Troysie?" Sharpay asks one more time.

"Um…n--noth--um," he clears his throat. "Nothing. Nothing important."

* * *

**Author's note--Wow, you're probably all so mad at me for this chapter and how it went. In fact, I actually had a hard time writing it. I mean, what is High School Musical if there's no Troyella? Nothing! That's what! **

**Okay, so I probably won't be updating until Monday, and if not then, then it might not be until next Saturday since I'm going on a short vacation. So review please and even though you might not like how this story is going with the whole Troypay and Troyella thing, just stick with it, because I promise things will get better. Thanks**


	21. Paper Cut

_Its not so much in the words that you don't say  
It's when you act in the distant, cold way  
It's more in your eyes how you look at me  
Like you no longer care for what I see  
_Paper Cut--Vanessa Hudgens

* * *

Ryan has to wonder if Kelsi sees Jason for who he truly is. If she sees him coming out of French class surrounded by girls? Of course he's not touching them or even smiling at them, but he is nodding his head and hugging them quickly good-bye.

He has to wonder if Kelsi is already too drawn into his roommate? Even after only agreeing to go out on a date with him just a couple of days before?

Does she see him when he does a double take on girls who walk by their first story floor window? Does she hear him when it's just the guys and when they talk about girls at the school? Does she care?

Of course she never hears or sees these kinds of things. That's what makes Ryan even more upset. She's already fallen for this traitor, and it makes him sick with worry.

He can tell. He can tell that she's fallen with the way that she stirs her coffee in the morning. So delicate. He can tell just by the way she smiles at Jason. Like she's the most luckiest girl in the world. He can tell as Emma and him were leaving the library Monday night and he heard the librarian ask Kelsi and Jason to leave because they were laughing too much.

It makes him wonder if the whole time they were in a relationship together, was she really into Jason at the time then too?

* * *

Taylor's walking to Earth Science as she told Gabriella along with Kelsi that she will meet them on the stoop of the building.

Someone touches her shoulder, and she knows exactly who it is as he caresses her shoulder through her long sleeve shirt.

"Hey. Where were you this morning? You weren't at breakfast." Zeke says with concern laced within his voice.

Taylor shrugs out of his grasp. This is what she was avoiding. She doesn't want to talk to him after seeing him with Sharpay. She's just waiting it out until he finally manages to tell her that he was with her. It wouldn't be so bad if he would've just told her right away. And from what Gabriella told her, this was more than a first time gathering between them as Chad and her have seen Zeke and Sharpay together too.

"I wasn't hungry," Taylor only half lies as she still ate, but only because Gabriella couldn't be in the same room as Troy and Sharpay, so she brought food for both herself and Taylor back to the girls' lobby.

"You could've called. I would've come to your room. So what's up?"

He asks it so nonchalantly that Taylor can't help but narrow her eyes. Something inside of her just snaps. "What's up!" She repeats. "That's all you have to ask?!" Zeke looks more alarmed now as he doesn't get a chance to respond to that. "Two days ago you thought we weren't spending enough time together. So I decided to come visit you during your free period in the cooking room…"

Zeke's face drops as he knows he's been caught. "She was just asking something." He says quickly.

"Really? To me it sounded like she was giving you her life long story."

Zeke sighs, "Come on Tay." He puts his hand on the small of her back to try to bring her into his side a little, but Taylor pushes off of him and continues to walk across the quad. "You know I'm not into her. You know I love you!"

"Then why didn't you tell me? I would've been fine if you told me you were spending time with the Ice Princess, but instead something must've been up if you didn't tell me."

"She's really not that bad. I don't really know why people call her the Ice Princess anymore."

Taylor's eyes widen in shock that he can even be defending her right now. But she has to remember that he wasn't at their school in freshman year to see Sharpay change drastically in one week, but then again he's known her for two years and has had no problem of disliking her now.

"Zeke?! Do you hear yourself?! She is the same girl who manipulates people into getting what she wants! She's the same girl who thinks she's better than everyone else! She's the same girl in freshman year who cornered a naïve Troy Bolton into becoming her boyfriend and offering him things no one else would've given at the time!"

After Taylor's little rant the air is tense between them, and Taylor finally realizes that they're in front of the building and like they planned, Gabriella and Kelsi are waiting for her on the steps.

Taylor gives Zeke one last glance before heading inside with her two friends.

* * *

"And that's it," Gabriella concludes with a dark bitter tone. One that only her closest friends have ever heard before. Not that she uses it with them, just in general on that one specific day that is the worst day of her life. Oh yeah, they heard her use it, scream it, and cry it until she wore herself out.

The day of her father's, brother's, and sister's funeral.

That's her worst day of her life. The day that she had to face her fears even more than before, and accept that that day was going to be the last day that she ever gets to see them again. Whether they talk to her, or they just laid there in their coffin, she was never going to see them again in person, and it scared her.

"And that's it…?" The counselor lets her repeating words linger as if Gabriella isn't tell her the truth, and she's trying to understand.

Gabriella fidgets uncomfortably under the woman's gaze while sitting on a nice plush black sofa in the middle of the counselor's therapy room. The school has two counselors. The main one that every student sees at least once while attending Davidson Academy was the one who Gabriella's mother first requested, but when Anna Montez found out that that Doctor was a male who was around Mr. Johnson's age she requested not even a minute later that Gabriella see the female counselor.

"You never open the door to your brother's room?" Miss. Patrick questions in a sorrowful tone which Gabriella is trying to make herself hate.

Hate because it's suppose to come natural. If someone's prying into your thoughts and feelings, and you know that they can analyze anything that you say or do; whether it be blowing a bubble with your gum that you're chewing, or looking out the window, they can analyze it.

"In my dreams? No. In real life? Yes."

But what if you don't want to be analyzed? Although you really don't have a choice since it's the one condition you promised your mother that you would do to go back to school, and start to move on with your life.

Gabriella's suppose to hate this woman for doing something Gabriella doesn't want done, but yet Gabriella's sitting on the sofa with no complaints verbally, and she's cooperating. Maybe deep down Gabriella doesn't mind this woman because Gabriella's not normal. Because deep down normal teenagers don't want to be cooped up in a stuffy room for an hour when everyone else they know are outside enjoying the weather. They don't want to be sharing their feelings, dreams, and deep dark secrets. Gabriella's not normal, and people tend to dislike not-normal girls.

"Gabriella? Gabriella, honey? Are you with me?" Miss. Patrick although she's insisted within the last three weeks of starting school that Gabriella call her by her first name: Mary.

"…yeah," Gabriella says slowly; coming out of her train of thought that revolved around Mary Patrick, the thirty-five year old counselor that works at her school, and although she's been working there ever since Gabriella started Davidson Academy her freshmen year, this is the first year Gabriella has ever talked to her. And now she's gonna be seeing her every Wednesday afternoon for the whole school year. "Sorry. must have been sidetracked."

She smiles warmly at Gabriella and Gabriella just imagines ripping off her smile and screaming at her to act like this isn't the fifties anymore. It's okay for her to frown and to tell Gabriella just how messed up her dreams are, but she knows that Miss. Patrick can't do that because that's not her job.

"It's okay. Why don't you tell me what were thinking about? Anything interesting?" She smiles as her green eyes of the redhead sparkle. She isn't a deep redhead, not some blood type red either, but more of like a pale orange with some blonde. Kind of like the cheese in macaroni before you mix it with the noodles.

Gabriella picks at the cushions of the couch that she's sitting on. She looks so small with her leaning against the backing of the couch that it looks like she is about to be gobbled up in it.

"Um…okay," Gabriella says slowly while avoiding eye contact. What can it hurt if Gabriella asks her for the truth or tells it? She can't come off as being any weirder to Miss. Patrick. "Why don't you hate me?"

Gabriella looks up and for once in her life she sees Miss. Patrick looking speechless; kind of like how Sharpay looked the previous day before breakfast.

Gabriella all of a sudden feels very self conscious of her question. Was she too blunt? Is Miss. Patrick thinking she's delusional? Is she going to be sent home because her mom's gonna find out about this question? Will she think she's too depressed? Because she's not. If anything Gabriella's farther away from that than before school started. She has a routine now. She has friends that expect her to be there. And it's not like Chad wasn't enough of a friend over the summer. She just feels like it's all coming together again.

"Why would you ask that Gabriella? Of course I could never hate you."

Gabriella bites her bottom lip and looks down at the coffee table in between them holding a fruit basket. "It's just…I'm not normal, am I? I mean, normal girls would never be here, no offense. Normal girls wouldn't have dreams of flashbacks back to when the school's math teacher broke into her dad's house and killed half her family. Normal girls wouldn't be scared of their shadow half the time. Normal girls don't wear masks masking their true feelings. And normal girls don't turn down hot basketball captains who are willing to throw away their three year relationship to the devil herself! What the hell am I doing? I'm not normal!"

Gabriella is panting after her little rant that Miss. Patrick let her go on and on about. She fidgets on the couch again and looks into the older woman's eyes. She shrugs her small shoulders and in a meek voice says, "Sorry."

"Believe it or not Gabriella, girls feel like that a lot."

Gabriella's face went blank of emotion and in a deadpanned voice spoke, "They have murderous dreams?"

Miss Patrick sighs. "It's a phase. You're a strong girl. You'll get through it." She smiles confidently. "Now, on to the little thing that you mentioned of this basketball player. You want to go into further details?"

Before Gabriella can answer, a little timer goes off. She smiles happily as if saved by the bell. "See you next week Miss. Patrick."

Gabriella stands up and gathers her bag while rushing to the door; anything to get out of talking about Troy and how Miss. Patrick would encourage her to take a chance on him. Gabriella can almost picture Miss. Patrick say, _I know you're ready. This Troy Bolton sounds like a nice young man. Do you want to tell me what else you're afraid of that has something to do with him?_ But Gabriella doesn't.

"Bye," Gabriella mumbles while exiting the room and away from the one person who knows everything that runs through her mind for an hour every Wednesday.

* * *

She's avoiding him, and it's killing him.

How can she go about her regular day, and act like he never told her that he loves her?

Granted, it might be freaking her out, but it's also affecting him too. It's not everyday Troy Bolton goes around and tells people that he has been in love with them for three years now. He's never felt so vulnerable in his life, and just knowing Gabriella is avoiding him is killing him.

Yes. Killing him sounds like the most appropriate term since he can't do anything without thinking about her, and going into a longing stare, and then breaking out of that so called stare to grumble about how she's just acting like nothing has happened.

"Dude, what the hell is up with you?" Chad's voice is heard as Troy looks up from the sketch pad in front of him as he's leaning against the tree trunk near the water fountain in the quad.

Troy shrugs while closing the sketchpad quickly; in hopes that Chad doesn't see who he's drawing, even though Chad does, but doesn't say anything as the smile is swept off his face.

"Where's Gabi?"

Troy narrows his eyes in an unknown feeling. "Why would I know? I'm not always with her. We're not joined at the hip."

Chad puts his hands up in defense. "Whoa. Calm down dude."

Troy scratches the back of his neck nervously. Chad's the only one that Troy has told what went down between Gabriella and him, and he's pretty sure that Gabriella has told Taylor since she made it obvious that she was talking to Gabriella during lunch about him; even though she tried to cover it up.

"Sorry, it's just…I don't even know anymore." Troy groans in exasperation while running a hand through his hair and tossing his sketchpad aside while searching the quad where a certain brunette was sitting with her best friend, but is not anymore.

Chad knows what Troy's doing and he feels it's his duty as a best friend to point out the things that can possible go wrong with this. "You do know that you have a girlfriend right now?"

Troy narrows his eyes. "You do know that Zeke and Tay are dating still?"

The boys stare at each other; neither one looking away.

Troy knows he should've pointed out the flaws in Chad's situation with Taylor a long time ago when Chad kissed her at the party, but he didn't want to burst his friend's bubble. He had too many other things going on at the time, and now it's coming to bite him in the ass because Chad's not a person who holds things back. If he has something on his mind; he speaks first and then thinks about it later.

"We're both fucked, aren't we?" Chad questions as a smile tugs at that corner of his lips.

Troy feels his own smile enter his face. "Yeah, but what did we expect when we act like complete idiots?"

"Touché."

* * *

In the three years of being in the drama club and having meetings every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. she has never had someone waiting outside for her to walk her back to her room. Sure, she might run into a soccer teammate or Taylor on her way to the building, but she's never had someone intentionally wait on the steps for a half an hour since they didn't know when the meeting got out in the chilly breeze, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and shorts because that's all they had with them when they showered after coming straight from basketball practice.

Kelsi is one of the first ones to emerge from the room, leading into the hallway that leads to the outside cold air; along with most of the other upper classman. She sees out of the corner of her eye Ryan next to her with only Emma in between them.

"Hey Kels." Emma's bubbly voice is heard as she's seemingly oblivious to the tension Ryan feels for Kelsi at the time.

Kelsi looks over at Ryan to see if he's affected that she's just been included into whatever conversation Emma and him were holding. His distant face doesn't change.

"Hey Em. What's up?"

"So Ryan and I were talking and he says romantic movies are so overrated, and horror movies aren't given enough credit. What do you think?"

"I um…" Kelsi thinks back to when her and Ryan would always watch horror movies, how their hands would reach for the pop corn at the same time, and then they would always end up holding hands in the bowl. Sure it was messy, but that was the best part.

Her eyes look at Ryan, but he refuses to glance at her. "Um…I'm really into mystery and action films, so I don't really think my opinion would be the best for this."

The three finally reach the doors after walking down the long hallway and Ryan and Kelsi nearly stop dead in their tracks as they see Jason standing with his shoulder leaning against the buildings archway.

"H--hey," Kelsi stammers with confusion. "What are you doing here?" She then realizes how harsh that kind of sounded and offers him a small smile as she knows that Ryan is probably tensing up as they speak.

Jason smiles brightly at her. "Just wondering if you wanted an escort?"

"Oh…" Kelsi looks at Ryan who's face is unreadable, and then Emma who looks like she just realized what is going on, and is standing awkwardly in between Kelsi and Ryan.

"Well I'm just gonna go," Emma dismisses herself slowly while backing up slowly and turning the other way instead of going straight and down the steps. "See you guys around."

"You want to come too Ryan?" Kelsi asks meekly.

"I don't want to intrude." He says stiffly. "See you around _friend_."

Kelsi watches him walk down the steps while slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Ready Miss Neilson?" Jason asks as if Ryan's tone didn't phase him at all.

Kelsi musters a smile on her face while pushing Ryan to the back of her mind. Forcing herself to believe that when he told her they could remain friends that this is how friends behave nowadays.

"Oh yeah. I'm ready."

* * *

"How many times do I have to say sorry?"

Taylor looks away from the Spanish book in front of her and glares at the boy sitting across from her in the library.

She purses her lips before replying coolly, "How many times it'll take to clear your conscience."

Chad sighs and rolls his eyes. "Fine. All clear. Let's get back to work."

"You? Working? Ha!" Taylor says again in a sharper tone meant for enemies.

"Obviously you're still mad," Chad mutters while looking up at her with his dark eyes. "I'm sorry. Maybe you're being a bit too much though because I was only 90 minutes late, and I had good reason. I just came from basketball and I had baseball before that."

Taylor looks down at her notebook for Spanish and sighs. She's with the guy she kissed only a couple of weekends ago while her boyfriend who she just got into a fight with is probably off with his new 'friend' the Ice Princess.

"Sorry," she says meekly. "Just worried about Gabi, that's all." Taylor only half lies as she is worried about Gabriella and what Gabriella told her before about how her therapy went, but that wasn't the only thing that's wrong with Taylor at the moment.

"If you're sure…?"

"Yeah." Taylor nods her head confidently. "I'm sure."

"Well then…how about a study break?" Chad asks while wiggling his eye brows twice.

Taylor rolls her eyes now as she can't help the small smile over take her face. "I'm not that forgiving."

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

* * *

"I need to know why." His voice is hoarse and she can point out every flaw in it, but for some reason she just doesn't care.

She whips around and clutches her chest in surprise as it's past curfew and she is just getting in from the library with Sarah who is on the soccern team with her.

"What the hell Troy? What are you doing here?" She whispers considering no one is around since it's a half an hour past curfew, and her bedroom which Sharpay's in is not far away.

He backs up away from the fireplace mantle that holds pictures of the girls who hold an impact on this Academy. Whether it be in the sports section of the school, the academic section of the school, or if the girl just went on to be a famous person, they're on the mantle if they stayed in the dorm when they were seniors or juniors.

"You've been avoiding me." He points out in a normal voice and Gabriella looks around wildly to make sure no one can hear them. "I need to know why."

"Shh!" She hisses as she rushes forward and grabs onto his hand. She pulls him through another hallway where she knows there's a janitors closest.

She shuts the door hastily while pushing in the little lock on the brass door handle. "Are you CRAZY!?" She still hisses in a whisper.

Troy hesitates as the past two days he's seriously contemplated that theory. He has never been more effected by a kiss like this, and in reality it's a scary idea.

"I--I don't know." He admits while scratching the back of his neck.

Gabriella takes a deep breath while she leans against the wall in exhaustion from her day. She shuts her eyes as she can feel Troy's eyes on her.

"You look tired." He comments softly.

"What are you doing Troy? You have a girlfriend who may I remind you: is my roommate."

"That's why I'm here. I need to know why. You're avoiding me and I don't like it. If I could I would take back the kiss if that meant that we could hang out still." He lies although it sounds convincing in Gabriella's mind. "But if you can't face me after that kiss then you must've felt something because then you would have no reason to avoid me."

Gabriella went to speak, but she can't. What he said makes sense, but she can never admit that out loud.

She opens her tired eyes and sees Troy right in front of her. If he takes one more step all he would need to do is lean down and they can reenact their first kiss.

"I know you Brie." He whispers while taking that one dreadful step forward. "You're not just avoiding me for the fun of it."

"Troy I--I don't know what you're talking about." She forces the words out of her mouth.

"Liar." He whispers. "Whenever I look your way you always pull the closest person to you and start talking. It's driving me crazy. I NEED to know why."

Gabriella shuts her eyes. It feels like a now or never kind of time. A feeling that she's never had before. A feeling that rarely feels good.

"Because I don't trust myself."


	22. Last Resort

_Cut my life into pieces  
This is my last resort  
Suffocation, no breathing  
Don't give a fuck  
If I cut my arm bleeding_

This is my last resort  
Last Resort--Papa Roach

* * *

_Gabriella trembled as she clawed at the rope that's made for securing things. It's at least inches thick which means scissors won't even cut through it. It reminded her of the rope they have to climb for gym class, but a little thinner so it can be tied securely around wrists and ankles._

"_You guys…it's not budging." Gabriella seethed with a hurriedness in her voice. She kept glancing over her shoulder as she knew who's in her house. Who violated her father through the chest with a knife. Who tied up her brother and sister to the chairs. It all came back to one person. Mr. Johnson._

_Gabriella looked up at her sisters face as tears were coming down her face silently. Her twelve year old brother and sister told her that Mr. Johnson would be back any minute seeing as he said he just had to use the bathroom to clean up the blood off of the knife and make a phone call._

"_Leave it Gabi." Kyle spoke for the first time since Gabriella came staggering into the room wanting to spill her stomach up on the floor after seeing her father's lifeless body on the bed. "Get out of here."_

"_No!" Nikki pleaded in a frantic whisper. "Please don't leave us." Gabriella looked up into her brown eyes that are the exact same as hers and their father's. "Please Gabi. Don't leave us."_

_Gabriella glanced over her shoulder as she swore she could hear the water running in the bathroom that's right down the hall; separated by four other rooms._

_She blinked back tears as she clawed even more viciously at the rope that's making it's mark on her siblings wrists. Gabriella knew that it was no use in trying as she heard the bathroom door squeak open-- knowing that was the only door in the house that ever made a sound when you opened it--but she couldn't let her brother and sister know that there was no hope._

"_Get out of here," Kyle scolded in his twelve year old voice that was changing day-by-day._

_The footsteps were coming nearer and nearer…_

* * *

"You know you can always talk to me if you want," Chad murmurs quietly near the girls' lobby doors. He took it upon himself to walk Taylor back from the library that Wednesday night since they stayed later than anticipated--until the librarian absolutely needed them to leave; thirty minute later than curfew.

Taylor sighs. Chad had been asking her and reminding her about that small fact the whole night. She knows she can since her distress with Zeke, but should she really confide in the person who is supposedly crushing on her at the time?

"…I know."

Chad nods then as he nudges her arm playfully; trying to keep some joking tone in his voice, but is finding it hard. "So come on McKessie; what's up for REAL? None of this worrying crap about Gabs. She's a strong girl and we both know that. So spill."

Taylor walks away from Chad and over to the railing that's leading the ramp up the side of the building next to the stairs for wheelchairs. She leans her body against it as she's looking out across the open quad with the only other sound being the running water fountain.

Chad's only option besides rudely walking away is following her over to the railing which he has no objection too.

Taylor waits a moment before gripping the railing tighter and avoiding Chad's gaze as his two brown eyes bore into her.

"I got into a fight with Zeke," she admits softly finally. She doesn't wait for Chad to ask what about. "I confronted him about his little meetings with the _Sharpay_," she spits out Sharpay's name, "and it's not like I'm controlling him and banding him from seeing her. It just would've been nice to have a heads up from him saying he was going to be one-on-one with her. I mean, EVERYONE knows how _Sharpay_ is, and then to walk in on them laughing together was just…WEIRD!"

They're both silent. Taylor ran out of things to say for a minute as Chad is literally speechless. He hesitantly lifts his hand and gently brings it down on Taylor's back to comfort her. He gently pats her like she can break any moment, and after a while he just lets his hand rest on her upper back; his body slowly molding it's side into her side.

"…Zeke's being an ass Tay."

"…No," Taylor disagrees which surprises Chad. "I mean, who am I kidding?" She laughs a little like it's some inside joke. "WE kissed Chad." She steps away from Chad and starts towards the door to the lobby. "We're the ones who did something stupid. He's just TALKING with _Sharpay_. Nothing wrong there, and here I am making it a big deal."

Chad feels the hurt through Taylor by just looking at her. "Everyone has their own opinions Tay. I happen to think Zeke is acting like a bastard for even trying to hide something from you, and you just happen to think otherwise."

Taylor looks at him as if disturbed by his statement. "How can you say that?"

"It's easy really. So what if we kissed? Like you said, it means nothing," he lies through his teeth. "But just think about it. Obviously Zeke felt the need to hide something when he was off with the Ice Princess doing only God knows what, or else he would've told you from the beginning that he's forming some weird friendship with her."

Taylor glares at Chad not really wanting to believe that. It hurts her just thinking like that. Shouldn't this hurt that she's feeling be proof enough that she loves Zeke and is jealous because he's her man? Or is the hurt that she's feeling only because in her past relationships she's used to being the one to break things off? She's never had to go through being the one in the most vulnerable spot in the relationship as it's coming to an end.

Before either of them can move, the lobby door bursts open and Taylor nearly gets knocked over by the force of the door slamming against the stone wall.

"Troy?" Taylor asks; clearly surprised.

He rushes down the stairs and both Chad and Taylor are stunned with how sharp his movements are. He looks truly pissed off.

"Bolton?" Chad tries to get his attention.

Troy barely recognizes that they're standing there as he raises his hand in a half wave sharply before whipping past Chad and down the path that leads to the boys' dorm across campus.

Chad looks at Taylor trying to decipher if he should stay with her to discuss her matters with Zeke, or if he should go after his best friend who clearly looks like he could kill.

"Go," Taylor soft voice speaks. "Go see what's up. I have a feeling his and Gabriella's thing is a lot worse than our situation."

Chad nods his head once in a thanking manner before sprinting off to catch up with him.

* * *

_Nikki had her eyes closed as she nods her sullen head. "He's right Gabi. Go. This guy is after you, and you can call for help. He doesn't know you're here." Nikki's voice picked up in excitement as if she just stumbled upon the cure for some unknown disease._

_Gabriella made her hugest regret at that moment. She pulled herself off the ground; forcing herself to look away from her family and wrenched open the closet. She forced herself over the sports equipment in her brother's closet from football, basketball, and soccer, and shut the door; enclosing herself in the dark._

_The last good look she got of her brother and sister was cut short as the bedroom door opened and the air shifted. _

_Her fingers numbly pulled her cell phone out of her jeans pocket and scattered over the silent button so no one could hear her dialing._

_She could hear Mr. Johnson's wretched voice echo through the room and presumably down the hall. "I really hate to do this, but your sister is due here at anytime, and she and I have to go to the airport right when she walks in."_

_Gabriella could hear the whimpers of her brother and sister as her fingers punched in 9-1-1. She knew she couldn't talk or else Mr. Johnson would hear her. She was banking on her chances of getting a smart person on the other line to trace this call from her cell phone._

"_I hope you really do believe me, but I think it's best that she doesn't see you two when she gets home. It would really tear her apart. Just shut your eyes," Mr. Johnson warned in a voice that sounded gentle, but Gabriella knew better. Mr. Johnson was composed of good looks, manners, and soothing words, but whatever Gabriella thought of him all went down the drain the previous night when he asked her to have a meeting with him in his condo at school._

_Gabriella had the phone to her ear, but she couldn't breath a word as the lady on the other line kept repeating the same thing--Is someone there? Are you there? Are you hurt?_

_Gabriella didn't hear her brother or sisters scream as the knife's blade was jammed right into their hearts. They didn't get a chance to yell as the blood poured out from them. _

_Gabriella bit into her wrist to keep from crying out. She felt the bile rise in her throat as her breathing escalated to an unhealthy level. She tasted the saltiness of her skin as her teeth ripped through her flesh. She couldn't cry. She couldn't scream. She couldn't do anything or else it would all be over if he found her._

* * *

"Because I don't trust myself," Troy spits out in a mumble. "What the hell does that mean?!"

He expected Gabriella to at least explain herself, but nothing else came out of her mouth except _"I think you should leave Troy. Please."_

He stormed out of there. That was the only reaction he had to give after Gabriella nearly rushed out of the closet and left him in there. He wasn't going to push her into explaining because he still knew deep down that he doesn't deserve to hear her reasons since he's not even a free man yet, but oh boy, he's going to be one soon and then she'll have to talk to him.

Troy is breathing heavily as he slows down his strides and just takes in the cool nighttime air. If he is going to be late for curfew, then he might as well round it off to an even hour.

"What the hell was that dude?" Chad's voice carries in the air as he comes to Troy's side.

Troy shrugs while trying to clear his mind. He doesn't need to be worrying about what Gabriella says until after he breaks up with Sharpay.

"It doesn't matter Chad."

Chad groans in exasperation. "Great! Now you're in some kind of funk. You gonna tell me what went down?"

Troy sighs noisily. "Nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing."

Their building comes into sight and they both find it strange that no teachers are out.

"Well then…you want to tell me about 'nothing'?"

Troy scratches behind his ear a little as he's at least calm enough to breath properly. His fingers twitch a little thinking back to what Gabriella told him, _Because I can't trust myself,_ but other than that, his system has calmed down.

"I told her I love her," he mumbles.

Chad looks at him warily. "We're not talking about your girlfriend, are we?"

"…nope."

"I need a drink before this story."

* * *

_He gripped her arm tightly, and then yanked her to her feet. His eyes were deep and penetrating as if he was enjoying this._

_Gabriella tried to yank out of his arms reach as she 'accidentally' dropped her cell phone into her brother's clothes that were in the back of the closet; as to not make a sound due to the light impact. At least she knew the lady on the other end of the phone was still listening to the struggle._

"_Found you," his voice spoke smoothly as he yanked her out of the confines of the closet and threw her onto the bed._

_Her feet stumbled over something soft and hard at the same time. Her eyes quickly diverted themselves downwards and tears rolled down her cheeks as she saw her sister's cream skin--due to her mother's side of the family--sticking out from under the bed._

_The tearing of tape took Gabriella out of her staring, and she looked up at Mr. Johnson who was smiling brightly._

"_Sorry, it's gonna be sticky. I used up all my rope on your brother and sister." He took a step closer to Gabriella who rolled the other way on the bed; finding her body was betraying her and deciding to all of a sudden go into a paralyzed state, but she forced through it and made herself move._

"_Don't touch me," Gabriella demanded sharply before her whole stature crumbled seeing another glimpse on the other side of the bed her brother's clad covered leg. "Please?"_

_He made a scolding sound on his tongue while advancing Gabriella by getting up on the bed and kneeling on it. Gabriella backed up as far as she could go and momentarily wished her brother had the bigger room of the three since she couldn't go anywhere else._

"_Don't make this harder Ella Bella." He got to the edge of the bed and stepped down with grace. "It's just me." As if that would make her less scared._

_Gabriella struggled against him. She fought with everything she had, but it wasn't good enough. Just having Mr. Johnson touching her in the least passionate way brought back flashes of her brother, sister, and father. Was struggling worth it? Because it seemed to Gabriella that whatever she did, he always had something to reciprocate it._

_She would pound her arms into his chest, he would grab her wrists and twist them. She would try kicking him in the chin or groin, and he would already be blocking himself from her harm and clutching onto her thigh while squeezing a bruise onto her soft skin. She would yell, and he would shush her._

"_There." He said finally with a small clap of the hands as if he was happy with the outcome of this situation._

_Gabriella struggled to sit up on the bed with her arms taped behind her back. She could feel the bruises marking her body. She could feel the headache from seeing the blood leaking out from under her bed. She could feel the vomit in her throat as Mr. Johnson walked around the bed to the other side closer to the door and pushed a curl behind her ear._

"_I really thought this would be harder." He studied her tears running down her face. Her whimpers running through her lips. Her cries to stop, but that just motivated him even more. "Don't fret sweetie. They didn't feel a thing."_

_He stroked her cheek as Gabriella turned her head away in disgust. "You're a monster!" She screamed with rage. "Don't touch me!"_

"_Fine," he hissed. "Let me just go get everything ready in the car, and then we can go."_

"_Go?! Go where?!" She asked in hysterics. If the police didn't get there soon, then what was gonna happen to her?_

_Mr. Johnson sighed sorrowfully. "You're right Ella Bella. I'm sorry, I meant to document everything so you wouldn't feel left out. Just a minute," he soothed, although it didn't do anything for her. He turned away from her as her hands twisted and turned behind her back. Within a few seconds he drew out behind his back a camera. "Now smile pretty."_

_She shut her eyes as he snapped pictures left and right. He's cooing things; letting his voice float through the air._

"_You know…I'm glad it's working out this way." He states coolly as if baiting her._

_Gabriella closed her eyes again and then opened them once the flashing stopped. "What's working out?" She asked through gritted teeth. Where the hell are the police?_

"_Us! Going to Mexico. If there wasn't a flight around here this week then I probably would've had to go after your friends too."_

_Gabriella's body shakes as her heart speeds up even more. "What?" She gasped. What the hell did that mean?_

"_Sh…" he cooed as he leaned forward on the bed and wipes away the tears that were falling down her face without effort. "I know you'll understand, just let me explain. You see, if they kept calling and you never answered then they'd get suspicious."_

"_They'll still get suspicious because I hardly think you're gonna let me talk to them." Gabriella snapped as she instantly regretted it. He leaned even further as he put his hand on her cheek. She struggled against him as his other hand sat on her legs to keep her still._

"_You're right, but…at least we'll be out of the country, and then your cell phone will be in pieces. It'll work out, trust me. And as long as you don't talk to them, then they won't come after you to help. No one will inform the police, and if they do then we're gonna have to pay a visit to your mother."_

_A fresh set of tears came to Gabriella's eyes as she internally groaned, and twisted her hands even more in the tight hold he had them in with the duck tape wrapped around various times._

"_Come on," he urged as he put his two hands on her shoulders and lifted her up from the bed so she was on her own two feet. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way. Your choice."_

_If the police weren't there by now then they weren't coming at all._

_Gabriella started struggling and twisting as his grip tightened on her. Her body tried to retreat from his and out into the hallway, but he ran after her and pulled her to him. He scooped her up in his hard arms due to the muscle and held her close._

"_I guess you're gonna make it hard. But it's not so bad. I like holding you." He whispered into her ear as Gabriella struggled against his chest, but he held on tighter, squeezing her side that was away from him._

"_Stop!" Gabriella screeched as he tightened his grip again and he navigated them down the stairs that were almost double the length of normal stairs in a house due to the house's size. "Please, you're hurting me!"_

"_Sh…" he cooed again while pressing a kiss to her forehead as tears continued to soak down her face and into the t-shirt she was wearing. "Yell all you want, no one can hear you."_

"_No! Just…someone's gonna notice. Neighbors are! Teachers are! My FRIENDS are! Troy is!" Gabriella screamed as she thought back to how Troy already suspected something, of course he was gonna notice._

_Mr. Johnson's whole body tensed up at the mention of Troy's name. He dropped her legs, and before she could even take a step away from him he had his fingers digging into her already bruised shoulders and held her against the wall._

"_Why'd you have to say that? Huh? Do you get pleasure out of seeing me jealous?" His voice was rough as he spoke not even inches away from her face as he bent his knees to be at eye level with her. "That's all I ask of you: forget Bolton! Is that so hard?" He shook her like the crazy person he was._

_He let out a small amused chuckle before pressing a burning kiss to the side of her mouth. She flinched back while struggling in his arms. "Calm down baby. I think this new relationship needs some rules. Number one: don't make me hurt you. Believe me, it hurts me more than it hurts you. And the only reason why I would have to hurt you is if you do something to tick me off. Number two: don't ever mention Bolton again. Do you understand?" He asked as his hands gripped her shoulders tighter than before in rage._

_Gabriella was speechless as she numbly nodded her head. She couldn't struggle anymore. Her wrists were burning along with her shoulders and arms where big black bruises were sure to make home._

"_And number three: you might want to remember this one? And when I say this, I truly mean it from my heart. Remember, if you do anything that I don't like, I will go after your friends. I'll pick them off one-by-one. I won't hide it from you, I won't lie to you, and I expect those same things from you. If we're gonna have a relationship, we need a clean start." He slowly lowered his mouth that every girl at school dreamed about to the tears that were gliding down her pale cheeks._

"_I'll start with Bolton. He seems to be the main one I should be concerned about it. He's always around you! What is the deal with that Kid!? But if that's not effective enough then…let's just say I would hate to have to visit Taylor. So in conclusion of this whole lesson: follow me like a good girl and I won't have to blame your friends' death on you."_

_He pressed his body against hers as her legs tried to knee him in the mid drift, but his slammed her body against the wall once again. "I think it's time to go? Don't you?"_

_Gabriella's heart was racing. She looked around in alarm as they both could hear sirens in the distance._

"_Oh no Ella. No, no, no, no, no," he scolded. "You didn't call the police, did you? Because now someone's really gonna get hurt."_

* * *

After Chad sprinted away Taylor walked into the dorm, and nearly jumped out of her own skin as she saw Gabriella nearly whip out of her own room--the same way Troy was walking with sharp curves to his body--and nearly pounced on her with a hug.

"Gab?--Gabi? What's wrong? Is everything okay? Chad and I just saw Troy storm out of here and…" Taylor trails off realizing that something for sure actually happened between Troy and her best friend.

Gabriella pulls back with a small blush coating her cheeks. "Sorry. I um…I didn't mean to bombard you like that. It's just…uh…I just need someone to talk to."

"Okay. Yeah, of course. Let's just sit down and take a breather." Taylor coaxes while leading Gabriella to the couch. "What is with you and Troy lately?"

"Why does he love me now? It makes no sense." Gabriella shifts on the couch so she's sitting Indian style and facing towards Taylor. Gabriella continues before Taylor can even question her, "He was waiting for me, and then he demanded an answer. I told him--I told him that I can't trust myself. WHO says that?! Well, I guess I do since I said it!"

"Shh." Taylor hisses while leaning forward and putting her hand over Gabriella's mouth so no one can hear. "If we're talking about who I think we're talking about, then you're gonna have to hold it together since his girlfriend is nearby."

Taylor glances over her shoulder at Gabriella's and Sharpay's bedroom door.

Taylor's a smart girl. She is head of their class. She's their grades prefect who along with another boy in their senior class has to attend the staffs' meeting once every month, she's expected to represent their grade when it comes to assemblies, and she's expected to maintain the perfect grades. Hence why she's so smart.

From the little times Gabriella and Taylor have had to just being the two of them the past couple of weeks, Taylor has picked up on various little comments Gabriella has made about her new situation with her and Troy. Taylor's also had to sit through various short conversations due to lack of time about Gabriella and Troy.

From what she gathers, Troy has no idea what happened to Gabriella the previous year, even if he thinks he does, he has no idea what he is getting himself into. Maybe, and it's a big maybe, that Gabriella will let her guard down and they can be a happy couple? But then again, if she never does then Troy doesn't stand a chance.

"Let's back this up here. Just real quick Gabs." Taylor pauses for a second to collect her breath as Gabriella just shakes her head a little as if to clear her mind. "Let's start with…he loves you? He's still pronouncing that?"

Gabriella rolls her eyes trying to keep a little humor in it, but it's useless with how serious her body is. "Thanks Tay," she says sarcastically, "is it so hard to believe that Troy Bolton is capable of that?"

Taylor has a light blush tint her upper cheeks. "Sorry, but…this is bad Gabi. This is really bad. He's still with the _Sharpay_."

"I know."

"Well then what's going on with you two? Why are you still allowing yourself to befriend him?"

"It's complicated," Gabriella says softly. "I'm so mixed up right now, and it scares me. I can't help but think about last year and what Mr. Johnson said."

"He's gone now Gabi. He's dead. Six feet under, and he's not coming back," Taylor reassures her.

"I know, but…it's just THERE! His words…voice…tone…are all gonna be in the back of my mind forever now, and Troy just somehow fits into that. It scares me, and I have to constantly remind myself that I don't want anything to happen to Troy or my other friends."

"But nothing will Gabi. We're all safe now."

"I know that Tay. But it's always gonna be there and I can't avoid it. And I can't help but feel responsible for anything that goes wrong. Mr. Johnson said this would happen. Something would go wrong, someone would be hurt, and it would be my fault."

Taylor narrows her eyes on Gabriella. "You don't honestly believe that, do you? That's total crap and you know it! Troy being hurt because you rejected him is not your fault. If anything, it's his fault because he's still with the Ice Princess while he's trying to get with you! He's bringing this on himself."

Gabriella bites her bottom lip. "I guess…but…that still doesn't count for what I told him Tay. I told him I don't trust myself."

"Trust yourself with what?"

"With this! With this THING that has him determined to pronounce his love for me. It's not normal, and honestly…I don't think I'm capable."

Taylor senses she's not gonna say anymore, but she's still puzzled about one thing.

"Capable of what Gabs?"

"Capable of loving Tay. I'm not capable of loving again."

* * *

_Gabriella didn't know how she did it. She didn't know if it was the knee to the gut the hundredth time that did it, the continuous flailing of the body, or the head butt that cracked some of her forehead that made him stumble back, but whatever it was, it did the trick. _

_The sirens were getting closer as she stumbled around the kitchen island and fell to the ground. She was breathing heavily as she knew that the tape was becoming looser and looser. She held in a squeal as she pushed herself to get her hands free._

_She squirmed in the spot she was in as she heard Mr. Johnson's footsteps stumble through the downstairs of her father's home. There were over five different rooms that she could be in: dining room, living room, kitchen, family room, bathroom, den…_

"_I know you're hear Ella!" His voice called out as the sirens came closer and closer. Gabriella just had to wait out the few minutes left._

_She rested her sweating and partly bleeding forehead against the white cabinet door under the island's counter top as her hands magically pulled out of the confines of the tape finally._

_She ripped the remainder off of her right hand with her mouth as her wrists showed the purple and black marks made by his hands when he grabbed her up in her brother's room._

_She tenderly felt her aching forehead where it collided with his and felt a small trickle of blood. _

"_Ella, I'm starting to get impatient!" His voice boomed. "We're gonna miss our flight!"_

_Gabriella looked around wildly and came to a conclusion. A conclusion that might never leave her mind. _

_She quickly stood up and picked up the one item that she knew could stop him. She slipped the blade into her back pocket and slowly walked out of the kitchen and down the one step that led into the dining room where unsurprisingly Mr. Johnson was._

"_Good girl," he appraised. "Now let's go out the back door and to my car."_

_Gabriella hesitantly took the last steps separating herself from him. His eyes were piercing through her body suspiciously, but nonetheless he put his arms around her._

"_Now I know you didn't mean anything by calling the police, but we really have to go," he whispered in her ear._

"…_no," she whispered back in a raspy voice. "_You_ have to go."_

_Gabriella drew back as Mr. Johnson looked at her strangely and before she could comprehend what she was doing, she withdrew the steak knife from her back pocket and held it up in a defense stance._

_If Mr. Johnson was surprised, he didn't show it as he slowly raised his hands, surrendering. "Okay Ella, just calm down. I know you're scared, but I'm here to take care of you. I love you."_

"_Don't come near me!" Gabriella warned, swinging the knife a little to threaten him even more. "Don't come near me!"_

"_Lower the knife Gabriella." He glanced towards the window where you could see the lights through the white curtains of the police cars becoming bigger and bigger. Mr. Johnson sighed dramatically, "I really didn't want to do this."_

_Gabriella's eyes widened as he withdrew the knife he had in his pocket, and she could see the blood that dried on the blade. "Like I said before, we can do it the hard way or the easy way."_

_It all seemed to happen in slow motion for Gabriella as there was a knock on the door. Both of their heads turned before snapping back to stare at each other. "Let's go. Put the knife down." He instructed._

"_This is the Police. Is anyone home?!" A gruff voice sounded through the door as the knocking continued._

_Mr. Johnson took a step closer to Gabriella as something in her mind snapped and she slowly set the knife down without breaking eye contact._

"_Good. Now let's go." Mr. Johnson advanced on her again with the knife still out._

_Gabriella twitched as he came nearer, frantically listening to the police, wanting to call out, but knowing one wrong move could end her life too. But who was she kidding, she was scarred for life, it couldn't get worst than this._

"_Is anyone there!?" The gruff voice called one last time._

"_Ella, don't run. Be absolutely quiet." He slowly took one more step forward, and before Gabriella could process anything she took off._

_She let her track and soccer legs take control as she ran up the one step to the kitchen and quickly turned the sharp corner that lead down the dark hallway with the stairs on her right._

_She heard the front door open, she heard the multiple footsteps in the house on the hardware flooring, and she heard Mr. Johnson swear before he started after her, but none of that stuff mattered._

_What mattered was running. She needed to get upstairs, make any amount of commotion she could, and make sure that the officers knew what was going on. Although they would have to be pretty dense if they didn't know already with all the weirdness and tenseness in the air._

_She pushed her sore legs harder as she was half way up the stairs case. _

"_Not so fast Ella," Mr. Johnson spoke as he raced after her and grabbed onto her ankle._

_Gabriella screamed as he pulled her down the ten steps as they both fell in a heap at the bottom on the cold floor._

_She didn't know what Mr. Johnson was playing at, but whatever it was he was sure to get caught now. He was on top of her, his hands prying at her, Gabriella's screams fill the air until all of a sudden he was pried off of her._

_But it didn't stop there. Mr. Johnson took on the two officers who were there. Fists impacted upon flesh. The fifty year old police officer fell and hit his head on the banister of the stairs. Voices shouted through the air and Gabriella realized, Mr. Johnson wasn't giving up._

_She curled herself up with her arms around her knees while her back was against the wall._

_Growls were heard as the younger of the two officers drew out his gun and put himself in front of Gabriella, blocking herself off from seeing Mr. Johnson's face._

_Gabriella looked to the side and saw that the older officer was at least breathing from having his head hitting the banister._

"_Drop your weapon!" The younger officer, Scott, yelled._

_Gabriella saw Mr. Johnson's blade out again and she shut her eyes. Flashes of her brother, sister, and father flashed before her._

"_I'm not gonna warn you again. Freeze where you are and drop your weapon!" Scott warned, his finger itching on the trigger._

_Gabriella could see the blood as her eyes remain closed. She could smell the disgusting taste of iron mixed within. She could feel it drying on her forehead while her whole body was on fire from the tumble down the stairs._

_But she can hardly compare herself to the damage that's upstairs. It makes her sick to her stomach as she can feel the vomit sitting in her throat._

_Without control she reaches over and empties her stomach out onto the floor._

"_I'm all she has," Mr. Johnson's voice floats through the air as he continues to step forward. Gabriella doesn't dare to look up as her throat burns while puking. "I love her."_

_It happened too fast now as the shot rang out and Gabriella could only guess that Mr. Johnson crossed the line even more and got too close to Scott with the knife._

_Gabriella leaned against the wall again as the fumes from her vomit filled the air, and that was that. The night would be over soon and the last words Mr. Johnson said were words declaring his love for her. It made her sick all over again._

_More sirens were heard, along with ambulances. Neighbors gathered outside of the house. News crews were cautioned off with tape. The older officer got up with blood trickling down the side of his face. The younger officer stayed in police order and rushed over to the victim, in this case--Gabriella._

**Author's note--So I have no idea what was up with this chapter. I wasn't actually planning on revealing Gabriella's story in this chapter as I hadn't planned out when I would do that yet, but I guess now it was time since if I didn't do it soon then I'm pretty sure I would've forgotten. But yet, I'm still iffy about this chapter. I'm just kind of worried that maybe I didn't express things right, but I'm tired of rewriting it, and I got back from my short vacation a couple of days ago and it was kind of hard to get back on track. So leave me a review and tell me what you think.**

* * *


	23. No Good

_I'm moving in reverse  
Under your mighty curse  
I hate myself for loving you  
I turn my head away  
But my heart will remain  
Till the day I learn you're no good for me_

No Good--Kate Voegele

* * *

Talking to Emma helped. It still does help as it surprisingly puts him back into this other alternative world, and lets him believe that nothing has changed before Kelsi and his break up.

Talking to Emma lets him believe and think back to when Kelsi, Sharpay, Emma, and himself used to group together in drama class. They would follow Sharpay's insistent directions as usually Emma and Sharpay would plan everything while Kelsi and him would talk quietly.

And now that Sharpay and him don't talk as much sense she's ALWAYS busy, he's never in an upbeat mood anymore, and Kelsi and him broke up; it's reassuring to at least keep in touch of their little group of four from junior year. It lets his mind relax and think that in any minute Kelsi would walk into the drama room and drop down next to him with a quick kiss.

So when Ryan walked into Drama class--the first class of the day for himself, Sharpay, Kelsi, and Emma--he looked around and saw Emma sitting at a desk with all open seats next to her. And since they don't have an official seating chart since they are always moving around, he decided he could go for an alternate world that day.

"So I did some research," Emma states while he drops his book bag to the ground, "and horror movies might be better than romantics."

He raises his eye brow with a smirk. "Told you! But uh…to be sure, where did you finally learn this from?"

Emma shrugs her shoulders as more kids file into the classroom. "From around." He looks at her more pointedly and knows there's something else. She blushes a little, "I called the theatre."

He smirks even more. "Wow, I didn't think someone would actually call and ask for a half-ass review of a movie."

Emma rolls her eyes, "Don't get excited. I was just bored yesterday night and it might've been on my mind."

Ryan smiles as he looks at her, but out of the corner of his eye he sees a short brunette walk in and take a seat in the back. He can't help his head from turning.

"You should talk to her," Emma murmurs softly in a whisper so no one else hears.

Ryan looks at Emma in question. "I don't know who you mean."

Emma sighs sadly, "If it's something I learned from my past relationship, it's running away from problems and conflicts only makes it worse."

Ryan snorts ungracefully, "I think it's far past conflicts and problems."

"I don't. I mean, after your break up," Emma looks at Ryan hesitantly, but doesn't see any disapproving look, so she keeps going, "things just keep going down hill, don't they? So do something about that. If she's not wanting to date you again then make yourself known in her life. Take a stand and tell her you want to be, make a stand for yourself!"

He looks at her like she grew a third eye. "What?" She asks in a quiet voice again, self-consciously putting her hair behind her ear.

"N--nothing, just…WOW! I actually believed you for a second. Where did that come from?" Ryan asks.

Emma sighs. She isn't going to keep trying to help Ryan go back to Kelsi if he doesn't obviously listen to her, and she is okay with that. Maybe Ryan doesn't want her as much as he lets on if he's not doing anything besides brooding?

"I guess…I guess that's just my own feelings about Brad. Maybe we would still be together if he actually was present for the relationship and not so much into his basketball and school work."

Ryan sighs while trying to block out Emma's great advice. What if he did make a stand? Would Kelsi even notice? But what if he went about it a different way?

"You're still not over Brad?" He asks softly as he's grown up around Emma the past couple years. She's even gone on vacation with him and his family. It's natural for him to be concerned about her.

Emma looks at him startled as he lays his hand over hers for comfort. She's so startled that she has to lie to him in a stutter, "Ye--yeah."

* * *

Jason groans miserably. "I SO do not want to go to _Woman Writers._"

Taylor and Gabriella both roll their eyes as they sit down at the water fountains edge. As Gabriella looks around it seems to her that everyone is procrastinating going to class seeing as they are experiencing really weird weather. It is the middle of September and usually everyday is filled with chilly air dropping in temperatures gradually, but this week it has been surprisingly warm. Everyone is trying to catch up on their last rays of sunshine, Gabriella and her friends included.

"Stop acting like a Big Baby. What's wrong now? Teacher giving too much homework? You have a test today that you didn't even start studying for? Or is the teacher supposedly 'eyeing' you up again?"

Jason playfully glares at Taylor, and crosses his arms like a pouting kid.

Gabriella rolls her eyes again and pats Jason's leg in fake comfort as she situates herself more comfortably on the ground and leans her head against his leg seeing as he's sitting on the fountain's edge with his feet dangling down to the ground.

"He's pouting like the five year old he is because even though most kids in this class are juniors and seniors, we still get seating charts. And today just happens to be the day that she's switching us already."

Taylor rolls her eyes now at knowing the truth. "Hey, I am the only guy in this class."

Gabriella clears her throat. "Don't forget Kent."

Jason makes a low hissing sound in his throat as Taylor and Gabriella both raise their eye brows together. It seems to Gabriella and everyone else that Jason and Troy are the only two guys who make their distaste about Kent known.

"Like he counts," Jason grumbles. "He just took this class because everyone knows that it's like an almost all girls class."

"And then why did you take it?" Taylor asks with a small smirk.

Jason points his finger at Gabriella who fakes hurt. "She made me last year when we were picking out our schedules." Jason looks at Gabriella with a small glare. "If I end up sitting next to the Ice Princess then you are so going to get it Missy."

Gabriella stuck her tongue out at Jason as he stood up and she fell back from leaning on his leg and hit her back against the rough cement of the fountain.

"Ow!"

"Oops," Jason looks down as Taylor stiffens a laugh. "Here." He holds out his hand and Gabriella takes it roughly to pull herself up.

"Good luck you two?" Taylor more like questions as she backs away slowly from the two.

"Thanks Tay," Jason says sarcastically. "Now you jinxed us!"

* * *

"So that's it?" Sharpay quips as the bright sun is shining down on them and she lowers her large white sunglasses down from the top of her head to cover her eyes. "No more calories than necessary? No carbohydrates that are gonna kill me in the future? No more than five chocolate chips? Because I can't eat that MUCH chocolate."

Zeke follows closely behind Sharpay as he finds it ironic that when he was coming out of his first class, Classic Cooking with Mr. Grolf, that it was Sharpay who was walking by and started a conversation with him as he absentmindedly stayed on his path he takes everyday to get to business ed., but then somehow things switched and instead of Zeke leading Sharpay to his second class of the day, she is two paces in front of him, leading him to God only knows what class she has next.

"Sharpay, they're cookies. Chocolate chip cookies." Zeke points out in a mono tone voice. How can she not know that?

Sharpay rolls her eyes while flipping out her hair. "Whatever. Can I just have the recipe?"

He speeds up his walk, but nearly knocks into Sharpay as she stops abruptly. She points her long manicured finger out. He follows her finger in a second and sees Jason, Taylor, and Gabriella all sitting at the fountain in the middle of the quad.

Gabriella and Jason are gathering their things for whatever class they have next together--the class Sharpay is headed too--as Taylor waves goodbye to them and sets out in the opposite direction.

"What's the deal with you and her?" Sharpay asks in a command; masking the intrigue it really brings her.

Zeke follows Taylor's body with his eyes, and he nearly jumps out of his skin as his eyes finally surpass her breasts and land on her eyes that are staring right back at him. She looks shocked, confused, and hurt. She walks away before Zeke can even yell over to her to at least try to explain things.

"Uh…it's complicated." Zeke says slowly while watching Taylor's back.

Sharpay rolls her eyes. She can see through Zeke's hesitation. Obviously something isn't right with him and Taylor, and that's when it comes back to her. What Gabriella was ranting about the other morning and how Taylor doesn't approve of Zeke being with her or something like that. Or was it because Zeke lied? Sharpay shook her head with a smirk.

Did she really care?…Maybe, but it didn't matter because it isn't important. She doesn't need to be caught up in someone else's love story fiasco.

"Yeah, whatever you want to believe. Rumor has it that you never told her that we were 'hanging out'," Sharpay uses air quotes as she starts walking to Women Writers.

Zeke whips his head around at that. "What rumors?" He spits out while following two strides behind her again. He didn't care that he is going to be late to his next class. What rumors?

Sharpay yawns lazily. "Yeah, rumors. It seems McKessie isn't happy about our little meetings."

Zeke scoffs. "I would hardly call me giving you recipes for your chef at home _meetings._ Why would Tay say something like that, unless she really is hurt?" Zeke whispers to himself out loud.

"Whatever." Sharpay walks up the stairs to the building.

"Wait!" Zeke calls out; needing to know more.

Sharpay turns around and taps her foot impatiently, silently noticing the hard look on his face that says he's thinking. "What?" She snaps.

Zeke sighs, "Are you sure there's rumors?"

Sharpay rolls her eyes while adjusting her bag. "Listen, I heard from a _reliable source_," she forces out of her mouth with great dislike of her 'reliable source', Gabriella Montez, "that McKessie is having a hissy fit over nothing. Where do you think the rumor started with? If it wasn't you, or me, then…who?" Sharpay smirks as there's only one answer.

Zeke scratches his chin. "But it's not like Tay to start rumors, especially not about herserlf." He's clearly puzzled.

"But then again," Sharpay smiles innocently, "they're not really rumors, are they? I mean, we were after all in the cooking room, and that's what's going around. It's just gossip coming from your lovers mouth."

Zeke shakes his head. "Yeah, whatever. If she can hang out with Danforth then I can surely give you recipes. I got to go Sharpay."

Sharpay nods her head curtly as he turns away. She smiles victoriously. Technically what she told him was not a lie. People are talking about them in the cooking room. Sharpay told Emma after Gabriella confronted her that one morning only a couple of days ago, and it just slipped from there.

But now Sharpay stumbled upon something. Something no one else knows about:

Zeke is jealous of Chad.

Everyone just assumes he is too naïve to believe that Chad is just really good friends with Taylor, but Sharpay hearing Zeke's last grumble of the conversation just confirmed the unknown fact. Zeke isn't as naïve as everyone thinks he is.

This will do of some good gossip, but instead Sharpay keeps her mouth shut and fingers away from her texting phone for the second time in her life. She needs to investigate the situation further. She needs a plan.

This is just too juicy for her to ignore.

* * *

Jason knows this is bad, but old habits die hard. And in this case, this particular habit ended a while a go for him, but for everyone else it hasn't even sunk in yet.

He desperately wishes that Gabriella doesn't have to talk to the teacher after Women Writers class, but she had told him multiple times inside the building during work time that she has to because the teacher wanted to talk to her about some book project Gabriella did.

So he's left with the same predicament he's left in every time Gabriella bales out.

He walks down the steps as the sun shines down on him in his red cotton t-shirt and faded blue jeans that rest low on the waist. He tries to side step the girls who insist on following him out of the classroom every time Gabriella isn't there to shield him off.

Every time it's the same thing. They giggle, joke, talk, and yet somehow they don't realize he's not responding. But they will go away very soon once they see some other guy walking past who will give them the time of day.

"Are you going to the football scrimmage tomorrow night Jason?" A girl who he recognizes to be on the cheer squad asks.

He looks forward and denies himself the satisfaction of rolling his eyes. Maybe to an outside this looks like flirting since he's not exactly pushing the three girls away from him, but how can he do that without actually hurting them?

"Nah. I have a date."

"A date?" Another girl's voice goes up octaves. "With who?"

Jason nearly stops in his tracks as he sees the one and only Kelsi Neilson standing a good basketball court length away. What does this picture look to her? Him with three other girls who are all on the cheer squad? It's probably not good.

"Um…what was the question?" Jason asks distantly as his eyes remain on Kelsi's. He can't tell from this far away what she's thinking. Is he imagining the small curve her lips made?

* * *

"Kelsi?" A voice brings her out of her look with Jason, and she nearly looses her breath as she sees Ryan standing next to her in an awkward way.

She forgets about Jason who's surrounded by girls right now as she has no reason to worry, but yet it's there in the back of her mind. But she would never ask him to drop his friends for her, so getting along with the cheerleaders who clung to him was going to have to happen if she ever wanted to get her date the next day with him.

She offers a small smile to Ryan who scratches behind his ear in a nervous habit. "Hey Ry."

"Um…sorry for uh…interrupting?" He more like questions. "But uh, can I uh walk you to your next class? I kind of want to talk."

Kelsi wants to turn her head for a mere second to see if Jason is still staring at Ryan and her, but resists as that want dies down and she smiles at Ryan. Maybe this is the next step forth in their friend relationship?

"I would like that."

They fall into step beside each other as they cut across the neatly cut grass.

"So what's up?" Kelsi asks after he hasn't said anything for a while.

Ryan doesn't know how to phrase what he is thinking, but he knows he isn't going to chicken out. Something what Emma told him must have hit home with him before, but he just wasn't willing to believe it. But then seeing Kelsi watching Jason who was practically allowing the girls to trail him like his pet set something off inside of him. His Kelsi doesn't deserve to be treated like second nature, and even though Jason hasn't even taken her out yet, he's practically as good as committed to her since their date is the next night.

"I just want to tell you something. No, actually I NEED to tell you something. Get it off my chest or something, but it's there, and it's been bugging me." Ryan explains.

Kelsi nods her head a little as her heart beats faster without stopping it. Is this a good sign or a bad sign?

"I agreed to being friends with you, but yet I haven't been acting the most friendliness." He says warily.

Kelsi's small shoulders go up and then down, "It's not like I've made it easy for you either."

Ryan exhales slowly, "So…here's the truth. I'm tired to doing this dance. I'll take any relationship you give me. As long as we can still talk and hang out. You want to be friends? Then we're friends. You want to be enemies? Then run away now. You want to elope to Las Vegas? Then let me call the airport myself. But the main point that I'm trying to make is…I NEED you in my life somehow. And I know that I said that I'd be you're friend before, but that was out of hate…if that makes sense?" Ryan pauses as he gets a confused look on his own face.

"That actually doesn't make any sense at all, but the main point here is that I'm redoing my answer, and even though it's the same one, I want to be your friend."

Kelsi stops in her tracks as Ryan has no choice but to stop too. There's a heavy silence until the corners of Kelsi's mouth twitch.

"A friend is good."

Ryan lets a relieved smile spread across his face now. "Good, because I don't think my parents would allow me to be married so young."

* * *

"You need to understand something," he insists. "I never meant to hurt you."

Taylor nods her head slowly while glancing down at the ground. If only he knows that she hurt him first with Chad. And Zeke and Sharpay didn't even kiss, Taylor has to keep herself reminded with that fact.

"I know," she says quietly.

"Good." He puts two fingers underneath her chin and lifts her head up so their eyes meet. "I'm gonna tell you the truth. When I got my detention 'Darbus' style, I ended up in a cabinet of some-sort, and then next thing I know I owed Sharpay. So I had to hold her script while she was fitted for some dress for the play, and then after that she just needed someone to vent to while getting free recipes. I really didn't know it would bother you so much Tay."

She nods her head as students pass them to get into the dining hall. "I know. I just…I think the thing that upset me the most was that on the morning you went on about how we don't spend time together, and then…I went to go spend time with you and you already were busy with _her_."

"I'm sorry. If I would've known you were stopping by the cooking room then I would've been able to clear my schedule."

"But then that wouldn't have been a surprise, but…do you know what? It's done with. She has her recipes, and you won't have to talk to her anymore."

Zeke bites his lip in nerves. "Tay, if she confronts me again…I'm not just gonna ignore her. I can't do that. You know that."

Taylor sighs, "Yeah, I know that. You're such a nice guy sometimes." It's a burden more than a gift in Taylor's opinion.

"But we're cool then?"

Taylor looks into his eyes that are lighter than Chad's by many brown shades. Now would be the time to confess her kiss to Chad, but she bites her tongue. "…Yeah…we're cool."

He smiles as he leans down and connects their lips. "Good. I love you, but I have to go. Promised the guys I'd meet them for a two-on-two game."

He runs off as Taylor just stands there numbly.

"Someone looks excited," a voice comments and Taylor nearly jumps out of her skin.

She holds her hand to her chest and looks at Chad who has a smirk on his face. She glares at him, "Can-it Chad."

His smirk drops with hearing the hurt, anger, and nerves in her voice. "Come on McKessie. Lunch food awaits us."

Taylor lets a small smile on her face. Not knowing Chad heard every word Zeke and Taylor spoke, but it really didn't matter. It's not like Chad's hopes that Taylor and Zeke would finally be over for good went down the drain. _Yeah, right._

* * *

"Hey," Troy greets in a tone that is a lot cooler than what it was the previous night. Gabriella lifts her gaze from her food as everyone at their table continues to talk because nothing to them seems out of the ordinary.

To the gang--excluding Zeke--doesn't find anything strange with Troy sitting across from Gabriella, except Jason and Sharpay. Sharpay doesn't find anything strange due to the fact that she's not even in the dining hall; preferring to eat her salad in her 'dressing room' with her best friends instead of sitting around with hundreds of sweaty other kids. And Jason because he's sitting next to Gabriella wondering what's different about her. He felt her tense up as Troy spoke to her, but he chooses not to say anything as he's still nodding his head to whatever Taylor and Kelsi are talking about, but in reality is eavesdropping.

"…hey." She greets back with the same uncertainty.

"Um I kind of need to talk to you," he says in the same awkward tone and Gabriella's stomach drops. He wants to talk about them in the DINING HALL?!

"Do you really think now is the best time?" She practically whispers while glancing down at her untouched food.

Troy clears his throat, as the others around him don't notice anything different; too wrapped up in each other. Ryan joining in on the conversation with Taylor and Kelsi for a change, Chad turning around to talk to another guy at the table behind them, and Jason concentrating on staring at Kelsi and Ryan's newfound friendship.

"It's about tonight. I can't study for Earth Science since I'm missing basketball practice on Saturday for a Spanish fieldtrip."

"Oh," her voice is monotone as she pushes her mash potatoes around on her plate with her fork. In a lot of ways that's a good thing. "So the whole teams' practice gets shifted tonight?"

"Nah, just more of the starters are gonna play some two-on-two. Coach's orders, or something like that," Troy says casually as they're easing into conversation; going noticed by Jason, and he isn't liking what he's hearing. Something is up between the two of them, and he can't believe that he hasn't seen it before. "Plus Chad and Zeke are gonna be gone too for the field trip. And Jase here just is a good sport about being sucked into an extra practice," Troy says approvingly.

Jason turns his head as he pretends this is the first time he's tuning into their conversation by hearing his name. "Yeah, yeah. Someone needs to attend to keep Chad and Zeke off of the same team. You should come Gabi. We can do something after. I need to talk to you about something anyways."

Gabriella is momentarily lost for words. There's many things to look at. On one hand, she will be around Troy. Granted, Troy will be busy practicing, but she will be around him. Things could easily get too awkward and someone could detect something, or even worse, Zeke will detect something, and now that he's buddy-buddy with Sharpay, he can tell her. But then again, she'll be around her other friends, Jason, Chad, and Zeke too. How often does an opportunity come like this where she isn't distracted by soccer or track? The weather is nice too. It is just a short amount of time before it takes a turn for the worst and the temperature drops. And she can possibly get to see Troy's six-pack every girl talks about.

"Fine, but I have to read the book Mrs. Flag assigned." Oh yeah, it is all about the weather.

* * *

**Author's note--Review Please?**


	24. Hey Juliet

_Hey I've been watching you.  
Every little thing you do.  
Every time I see you pass in my homeroom class,  
makes my heart beat fast.  
I've tried to page you twice  
But I see you roll your eyes  
Wish I could make you real  
but your lips are sealed. That ain't no big deal._  
Hey Juliet--LMNT

* * *

"So you guys are friends for sure now?" Jason asks while his foot absentmindedly kicks at a stone by his foot in the quad.

"Yup." Kelsi can't even hide her excitement as she doesn't even think how awkward this might be between the two boys, but if either one of them likes her like how they describe, then they will get along with each other.

"You sound happy," he comments while masking a jealous bone in his body.

"I am. It's like a weight being lifted off my chest. We've been the best of friends over the years and it was just weird fighting with him like that. Granted it was only for a couple of months when I was away at Julliard, but then coming back here and seeing him like that, it just…is refreshing right now."

Jason nods his head as they stop walking. "Well…thanks for letting me walk you to class." He looks at the music building they're standing in knowing he has to get across the campus for his class right now if he doesn't want to be late. But yet when he turns his head he can't help but get caught looking down at Kelsi and imagining his lips on hers again for the second time since the night he asked her out. It seems so long ago to him, but then again that's what it feels like at this school if you see the same people everyday.

"Anytime, um…are you okay?" Kelsi senses something different about the way his eyes darkened and the intensity of them.

"Yeah, I just…" His voice gets caught in his throat by just looking into her light eyes. His body curves into hers as he brings his lips closer.

"You just what?" Kelsi whispers.

Her breath tickles his lips when he closes the gap between them. It is soft, gentle, slow, and over quicker than what he intended, but yet it is the perfect kiss for two people who haven't even gone on their first date yet. It's a risky move he's playing at, but who could deny kissing her when she's just standing in front of them practically asking for it?

"You should come down to the basketball courts after dinner? The guys are doing a pick up practice, and you'll be with Gabi," Jason tries to sell.

Kelsi bites her bottom lip. She's momentarily stunned by the way their kiss went. She can't deny herself the truth as she isn't stupid. She's not oblivious to all the talk that circulates whenever a girl goes out with Jason, although not a lot has been going around since he's dated Gabriella the previous year which is the longest relationship he ever had; almost consisting of the whole year. But she knows from freshmen and sophomore year that when Jason kisses, he REALLY kisses, or at least that is what she heard.

"I have extended musical practice tonight seeing as we're canceling our meeting on Saturday due to the fact practically everyone is in Spanish and is going on the fieldtrip, and Ms. Darbus didn't feel like the ones who picked Latin or French as an elective should have to do all the hard work themselves."

"Maybe I'll catch you after? Wait, scratch that, I have to talk to Gabi about something."

Kelsi smiles. "Don't worry, I have some Earth Science to catch up on anyways. Someone got us kicked out of the library last time and if you're not around tonight then I guess our Thursday session is blown too."

"Crap, I totally forgot. I'm so sorry," Jason says right when the warning bells go off. "Crap! I got to go." He quickly kisses her on the cheek. "Bye."

"Bye," Kelsi giggles as he turns around briskly, but then stops as he hears someone calling out her name.

"You coming Kels?! Ms. Darbus doesn't do well with tardy people." Ryan's voice floats out from the top of the building steps.

Jason isn't even two steps away from Kelsi as he turns around and looks between her and Ryan. Kelsi looks between the two boys and can feel the awkwardness between them. She looks at Ryan and keeps her eyes on him.

"I'm coming. Go Jase, or you're gonna be even more late."

With that, Jason watches her walk up the stairs to join Ryan who automatically takes her book bag from her. _What is he playing at? _Jason wonders.

* * *

Sharpay is in a situation. A situation that she has no control over. A situation that only some people can train themselves away from, but it would take a very, _very_, long time, and Sharpay just doesn't have that.

She's hungry. She's very hungry seeing as she only had an apple for lunch. Usually she gets a salad, but by the time she sent some freshmen to get her lunch from the dining hall, all the salads were gone, so by good nature the boy brought back an apple.

The last time she ate an apple was at her house, and the nanny had to peel off the skin. Then she had to cut the apple into perfect wedges, but not with an apple cutter that you put on top of the apple and push down. Oh no, Sharpay couldn't make it simple for her, so she made her use a knife. It took all of thirty minutes to get it perfect, and then Sharpay ate one wedge and threw the rest away.

She was only ten at the time.

But now it's her free period which fits in perfectly with her schedule due to it's right after lunch and one of the choir rooms are empty sense there's no intro to music going on, but Sharpay isn't there. She's in search of one person, and one person only.

It's not Leah, Jackie, or Emma since they all have classes. It's not any one from choir, drama, or dance either. It's not anyone of her 'friends'.

She needs Zeke. She needs Zeke to make her something to eat because if she's forced to eat some food that's probably going to kill her in the future for being fatty and disgusting, then she is at least going to eat the best of the fatty and disgusting food. And for that to happen, she needs Zeke.

She's waltzing past people, cocking her head from side to side. She makes her way so she can at least see the building, but stops all of a sudden.

A replacement has come to take Zeke's spot in Sharpay's mind. And that so called boy would be her boyfriend.

"Troysie!" She greets while hastily giving him the kiss on the cheek. "I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever."

Troy looks past Sharpay, and her fingers curl. What can possible be more important that he isn't staring at her, his girlfriend of three years?!

"Um…Shar, I have to go. I have to get to art class, and we're supposed to meet near the edge of the woods in the back."

"But we didn't get to see each other yesterday."

"We talked right after classes ended."

"But then you had basketball right after. You didn't even give me a goodbye kiss." She pouts while staring up into his deep blue eyes.

He takes a deep breath and blows it out while glancing over her shoulder one last time. "Fine, here." He lowers his head and presses a sloppy kiss to her pink lip gloss lips. "Now I really, REALLY, have to go. I'll call you later!" He calls back.

All of a sudden she doesn't feel hungry anymore.

She feels lonely.

* * *

"You're late," the petite girl whispers from the side of her mouth as the teacher, Ms. T, keeps going on and on about the assignment they are to complete.

The older woman in front of the twenty kids resembled a slightly younger Ms. Darbus in everyone's opinion. She wears the same clothes; the funky colors, the distinctive scarves that no one can find, and the glasses that frame her face. She's roughly only in her mid fifties, but has so many stories that she offers to the students in her class. And unlike Ms. Darbus, she's not a hard ass on various things; although she does come across strongly at times.

"Class, this is a perfect opportunity to get in forty wondrous minutes out in the wild, the jungle, the wild side of our school!" She preaches with heart while spreading her arms out and motioning behind herself to the woods surrounding the back part of their school.

"Aren't we just going into the woods?" A male student asks as various snickers are heard and Ms. T smiles a coy smile.

"That's another way to put it Justin. But for right now it's time for imagination. I expect you guys to pair up, go into the unknown woods, and use your imagination." Her voice drops then and she just simple looks at everyone in the eyes. "In other words, I want one of the two in your groups to draw a portrait of the other person, something special, unique even, and then tomorrow the other person will get the same chance. Questions?"

Everyone looks around and Gabriella looks to her left to see that Troy is already looking at her. "Partners?" He asks in a whisper.

Gabriella bites her bottom lip unsurely.

"Good, now pair up and explore. Just meet back here in thirty-five or so minutes." With that Ms. T claps her hands excitedly, and then sets off by herself, her art stuff in a mini backpack, to explore.

Various classmates whirl by Gabriella and Troy while grabbing onto their partners. Even though Ms. T is a laid back person who voices her opinions a little too strongly at times; she takes art very serious. And if you're stuck with a partner who has no imaginative side, then you're screwed, unless you can come up with a very good explanation, and throw your heart into it, just to explain why you drew something that didn't fit the assignment.

"Come on. It's not like I'm gonna pronounce my love for you again," he says lightheartedly; a trace of a hurt can still be heard.

"…fine." Gabriella breathes out. "Yeah, what could go wrong?"

He grins widely at her while adjusting the ADIDAS sports bag on his shoulders that holds his art things in it. "That's the way to think Miss. Montez. Now follow me," he instructs while he starts off into the 'unknown forest'.

* * *

Taylor takes her seat in Spanish; followed by an afro clad boy who had his assigned seat next to her at the small table in the middle of the classroom. Taylor doesn't know why or how, but it seems in all the classes that she has with Chad, which is only three, they're always next to each other.

They had just gotten done with their Spanish project that they have been working on with four other students in the class, and it seems to Taylor that her perfect grades are still intact.

"That went good, right? I'm not just imagining our hard three weeks of work just getting an A?" She whispers out of the side of her mouth as now her boyfriend walks to the front of the room with five other students. Oh yes, this is the one class where it is just Chad, Taylor, and Zeke. It is like the Bermuda Triangle as Zeke sits directly behind Taylor and Chad at his own table next to Kent.

Chad grins as he feels the satisfaction that she's glowing with just how well they worked together. This might actually be a first where he actually liked working on the project, and now it's over. But at least they still have Earth Science.

"Yeah Tay. It went really well." Taylor lets out a relieved breath, while Chad keeps smiling at her. "We work well together, don't we?"

Taylor doesn't look away from his dark eyes that keep getting darkened over with a light gloss. "Yeah. We do."

* * *

"Troy, we're going too far into the woods. It's getting kind of dark." Gabriella looks around and the only sunlight that's shining through now is from the top of the trees that are beginning to be bare.

"Relax Brie. It's only a little dark." He smiles coyly at her. "You aren't scared, are you?"

Gabriella runs a hand through her hair. "…Yeah, okay? I am scared and I'm not afraid to admit it."

Troy stops and looks around for a moment. "Okay, this spot is better than nothing I guess."

"Thank you." Gabriella walks over to a tree stump that is as wide as a normal chair. She sits down on it and crosses her legs Indian style while the maroon top she is wearing is tight on her chest, and flows out at the bottom covers her lap when the wind picks up.

Troy's eyes are on her for longer than necessary. "Why are you afraid?"

Gabriella's eyes snap up from where she was looking at the ground. Her answer is simple. It makes sense to her as she blocks out the painful memories that are starting to come to mind. "…because everything happens when it's dark out."

Gabriella shuts her eyes while trying her hardest to block out the memory.

_She walked with shame. The red and blue lights blinked everywhere. They're surrounding her house along with noisy neighbors, paramedics, and news crews that started showing up at the house ten minutes ago._

_She held the blanket around her shoulders even tighter, and tried not to jerk away as the young police officer lightly put his hand on the upper part of her back; directing her to what she presumed his car._

_All she had to do was walk down the entry way leading to the house that will taint her dreams for the rest of her life. A measly forty feet and she could be away from the bright lights flashing, the people yelling for her attention and interview, the four dead bodies in her dad's old house._

_She shut her eyes as she can still taste the vomit that erupted from her mouth fifteen minutes ago while taking baby steps. Her body was sore, anyone can tell as it felt like the officer's hand was burning her._

"_We're almost there Gabriella." The officer reassured her in a whisper. She tried to block out how wrong it felt when he whispered it to her. "Just block everything out. We're almost there."_

_She had to call her mom, or at least someone had to. Someone had to inform her that her two youngest kids were gone, along with her ex-husband who she still got along with. Gabriella had to call her before she found out from the news. Her mom would hate her if she found out on the news like everyone else is. And Gabriella couldn't have that happen._

"_I need my mom." She whispered desperately as she stopped walking; not even ten feet away from the car._

_The officer paused right next to her. "When we get to the station someone's going to call her. Everything is gonna be okay Gabriella."_

_Gabriella's eyes were like deer eyes; caught in the blinding light, and she all of a sudden felt very light headed._

'_WHAT HAPPENED IN THERE?!'_

'_DID SOMEONE DIE?'_

'_CAN WE HAVE THE NAMES OF THE DECEASED?'_

_Gabriella's legs wobbled beneath her, and her breath hitched in her throat just listening to the reporters yell out things, but that's not the worst of it. Gabriella didn't know that she even had tears left within her, but they silently rolled down her cheeks, flooding her vision as one small body bag was being rolled past her._

_And then she saw darkness. A darkness so cold that she didn't know how she escaped. _

_Her body collapsed as the press had a field day with this picture._

_It was all dark._

It's only for a second that Gabriella spaced out; Troy didn't even notice which is what Gabriella is okay with. However, she would've spaced out longer if it wasn't for the black crow swooping lower and lower.

Gabriella looks just in time to her right before she moves her body and falls with a 'thud' to the ground so the crow who obviously can't fly very well swoops across the stump of the tree before going up into a nearby tree.

There's a moment of silence as Troy sees Gabriella sprawled out onto the ground. The low cut jeans she is wearing hugs her lower hips; the top riding up on her back due to the fall she made. Troy sees most of her back that he has never seen before, and he takes some time admiring it--actually it was only two seconds before Gabriella grunts, and stands up to wipe her barely grazed hands on her jeans with an unbelievable look on her face.

Her back was tan, matching her skin color, but what did he really expect? It's not like she's an alien. She has a couple of freckles scattered amongst the fit skin, along with a scar that is about his pinky length.

He can't keep his laughter in anymore as Gabriella looks around like she was just put into an observation tank. "What the _hell_ what THAT?!" Gabriella exclaims.

Troy tries to muffle his laughter, but he finds that it's better than checking out her body anymore as she straightens herself up again and hesitantly sits down on the stump once more.

She sends him a glare and he coughs to cover up his last of laughs.

"Sorry, but that…I would've warned you, but…man, that never happens!" Troy exclaims with hints of excitement in his voice and Gabriella continues to glare. "I mean," he clears his throat, "are you okay?"

"Glad that you care I got attacked by some BIRD." Gabriella pouts.

"Of course I care, but how many people get to say that they've seen someone get attacked by a bird?"

"Whatever. Just draw, we're wasting time."

Troy sighs as he looks at her. Gabriella fidgets uncomfortably under his gaze, and even though he's standing about five feet away, she still feels almost vulnerable around him.

"I have something to ask you." He states and Gabriella raises an eye brow as he doesn't continue. He takes her raised eye brow as a reason to continue, "Um…where'd you get that small scar on your back?"

Gabriella's right hand immediately goes to the spot and fingers it gently through her soft cotton top. It was one of the only things on her body that she tries to hide as only her close friends know about that scar. Although it isn't that big, it glows white in the dark from being almost ten years old on her body.

"You saw that?" Gabriella asks meekly. He grins at her, and her face goes blank. She knows what he's thinking. "Oh no! No, no, no, you can't draw that!" She exclaims frantically.

"Why not?" He asks as he takes steps closer to her and crouches down to her level.

"Because it's a SCAR!" She points out as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

He rolls his eyes and keeps his blue orbs on her brown ones. He holds her gaze, and slowly lifts his right hand to where her own hand is stationed on her back. "Brie…" He breathes out while he moves her fingers one by one.

Gabriella knows she lost. She huffs, "Fine. Just don't touch it."

Gabriella turns around on the stump and pulls up her shirt to the point where he can clearly see the scar on the right side of her back except it's still covering her bra to keep some decency intact. It takes a lot more will power than what he thought to hold back from running his curious fingers over it.

After ten long minutes of Gabriella sitting on the stump in the same position, and Troy sitting on the ground while sometimes leaning forward to see it closely--sometimes close enough so Gabriella can feel his warm breath against her cold skin--he decides this silence isn't working for him as he's trying to draw.

"So what happened?" He asks in a soft silky voice that Gabriella shuts her eyes to; knowing he can't see her face.

"I was learning how to ride a bike when I was seven, and my dad let go, and I fell." She says quietly. "We were doing this in the street because at the time my whole family lived at a different house and there was no sidewalk, and I guess my dad and I didn't see the glass before, but I fell onto that. Hurt like hell."

Troy let out a chuckle. "Sounds like you," he murmurs.

Gabriella laughs this time. "What? Falling on glass?"

"No. I just…I can picture you learning how to ride a bike. I don't know how, but I can."

It is silent for ten more minutes, and Gabriella thanks God that Troy announces that he's done as she quickly drops her top now and stands up to stretch.

"So? How'd it turn out?"

He smiles at her, but doesn't say anything as he hands her the sketchpad and starts walking away, "You tell me Brie."

Gabriella lets a small smile come onto her face as she stares at the picture. Completely different than what she thought he was going to draw. It's the stump's rough surface. That much she can work out; presumably the stump she was sitting on as she traces her fingers over the picture, as if the texture of the stump jumps from the page onto her skin. The rough contours of the curves run off the page while she has to squint her eyes and smile. Deep within the page near the right side is a straight line going diagonal. It's a line that you can miss if you don't look, but yet it's the only straight edge on the page.

"Coming Montez?!"

Gabriella looks up and starts her walk to where Troy is up ahead. "Coming!"

* * *

"Dude, what's up with you?" Zeke asks as he stands next to Jason who's staring at something. He follows his eye line and sees Ryan and Kelsi walking out of the drama building together. "You know she's into you."

Jason sighs while looking away from Kelsi who is laughing. "I'm not worried about that."

"You're staring like you are."

"It's just…I'm more concerned about him. That he's not laying all his cards out onto the table."

"Well then you still have nothing to worry about due to the FACT that she's so into you already."

Jason shakes his head unsurely while glancing over to where Kelsi and Ryan were, and now sees Ryan talking with Emma. "…I guess."

Zeke sighs, "You'll feel better after tomorrow night?"

Jason nods his head. "Yeah, just wish it was here already."

* * *

**Author's note--Next chapter, a lot more excitement as it heats up with one unexpected couple. **


	25. Hero

_Would you tremble,  
if I touched your lips?  
Would you laugh?  
Oh please tell me this.  
Now would you die,  
for the one you love?  
Hold me in your arms, tonight._

_I can be your hero, baby.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away.  
_Hero--Enrique Iglesias

* * *

"Shar, what does it mean when your ex-boyfriend comes up to you and asks if you have an extra pencil?" Emma asks as she is sat by her best friend and across from Kelsi and Ryan.

"That he wants a pencil?" Sharpay supplies while she doesn't even glance up from the script she's reading over.

"Sharpay, Kelsi! We need you on set!" Ms. Darbus' voice rings out and Sharpay sighs dramatically.

Kelsi rolls her eyes at Sharpay's behavior as this is something she didn't miss. She can handle hanging out with Ryan and Emma, but she can do without Sharpay.

"You look happy," Emma comments once both girls are out of the room and it's just Ryan and her in the dressing room.

He turns to her and sighs, "I am kind of happy."

Emma rolls her eyes, "You are always one to always find some kind of complication. So you two," she hints in a knowing tone while nudging his shoulder, "hitting it off again?"

"No. It's not like that anymore." Ryan insists while clearing his mind. She gives him a suspicious look. "Seriously, today I haven't even thought about trying to…_do anything_," he says awkwardly all of a sudden.

"But in the future?"

"Why are you so interested? Why can't two practically almost adults go out, break up, and now be friends?"

Emma shrinks back a little. "Sorry, just wondering."

Ryan sighs, "Nah, never mind. You're just being a friend."

"…yeah, just a friend."

* * *

To Gabriella it looks like four serious pissed off guys somehow connected due to the women in their lives, and they are not happy connections.

This isn't the first time that she has seen the guys play two-on-two. But this is the first time she's seen them play this school year and it's nothing like she's ever seen before. The tension that is building is becoming even awkward for her as she's at least thirty feet away from them and sitting on the outside metal bleachers while they're on the court. Gabriella thinks that it may even be worse than when their school goes against a rival school. At least then Gabriella knows that there's plenty of people around them, but now it's only Zeke, Chad, Jason, Troy, her, and the occasional student walking to get to the inside of their building.

It makes Gabriella curious how everyone was just out and about due to the sun, and now that it's night everyone practically runs to get inside. Maybe she is just used to this temperature since she used to spend some time in Maine over the previous six years due to her parents' divorce and joint custody.

The two teams have been set up the same. Troy and Zeke against Jason and Chad. Their records are practically even as Troy and Zeke have one more winning game than Jason and Chad. It seems to Gabriella that whenever Troy gets the ball, Jason's a lot more rougher with him on defense. Whenever Chad goes to shoot, Zeke's hand comes out of nowhere to block it. Fouls are happening left and right, but neither teams is calling them as it must be something to do with their pride and how well they can endure pain.

Gabriella sighs while closing her book. It's no use in trying to read as it's dark and the only lights are coming from the street lights from up above them that turn off when curfew sets.

"What's up Montez?" A smooth voice speaks as she nearly jumps out of her own skin as she was too transfixed on watching the boys practically take out their stress and worries on the court, and on each other.

Gabriella lets out a little yelp; Jason and Troy are both stunned by this and freeze for seconds.

"Don't do that Kent." Gabriella pants and looks around worriedly out of habit.

He looks at her sheepishly while making himself comfortable in the spot next to her. He's still sweaty and has his shin guards on so Gabriella knows he must've just come from soccer practice.

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to do that." He puts his arm around her in a half hug and Gabriella can't help but get flashback from sophomore year; the year she slept with him.

She finally realizes that he's more than damp from sweat, he's practically leaking it, but yet he still smells the desirable scent girls talk about.

"Eww, you're getting me all wet Kent!" She squeals while pushing him away; not realizing what implications that could mean to the boys on the court.

* * *

Troy goes to shoot, but doesn't release the ball while landing on the balls of his feet. He swivels his head to see Gabriella and his eyes bug out at what she just squealed with laughter, and the two continue to animatedly talk.

"Traveling." Jason calls.

Jason takes the ball from Troy who grumbles, "I hate that guy."

"Join the club." Jason says darkly.

* * *

"Kelsi, I was wondering if you were gonna be around Saturday? I was kind of hoping you were one who doesn't go on the Spanish field trip and can help me with my solo?" Emma asks as Ryan, Kelsi, and her are walking towards the outside basketball courts.

Kelsi rubs her thin fingers together as the temperature is dropping. Although it's not freezing, it feels like it is since she's used to the hot temperatures of New Mexico.

"Yeah. Just stop by my room and I'll help. I'm this way guys," Kelsi points in the left direction while their dorms were in the right. Emma and Ryan give her confused looks, "I told Jason I might stop by. You guys can come too, it's not just us down there."

Ryan looks at Emma who shakes her head, "Sorry, have an early class. I'm out you guys." She starts walking away knowing Ryan is going with Kelsi without question.

"Do you want my jacket?" Ryan asks as they start walking down the slight slope in the path.

"Nah, I can deal. Thanks though," she looks at him shyly.

--

"Who's winning?" Kelsi voice floats through the air as she and Ryan take seats behind Kent and Gabriella on the bleachers.

"No one really knows," Kent says slowly as Gabriella's and his eyes are glued on the guys who are starting to get winded down.

It doesn't take long for Kelsi and Ryan to be immersed within the basketball game, but after a while Ryan sees Kelsi tremble a little while rubbing her hands together.

"Here," Ryan states while taking off his red and white light weight jacket and draped it over her shoulders; this going noticed by Jason who drops the ball he's holding in shock.

"Thanks," Kelsi says quiet while wrapping the jacket around her small body even tighter.

"I think that's game." Zeke pants while Jason and Troy follow his lead by starting to head over to the bottom of the bleachers where their things are.

"Oh come on, it's hardly game," Chad scoffs while reluctantly following their lead.

"We've been at it for hours!" Zeke exclaims in disbelief that Chad wants to keep working. "I'm surprised you can still stand."

"What does that mean?" Chad hisses in great defense; probably more than normal due to the lack of sleep he is getting along with baseball and track practices mixed with basketball.

The four friends on the bleachers look around alarmed at how the guys' behaviors are escalating. Gabriella is the first one to move as the three follow her by standing up and stepping down onto the damp grass.

"Dude, calm down. I don't think he meant anything by it," Jason states while shutting his water bottle.

"Yeah man, chill. I just meant with the three sports you're playing, and then of course you're actually studying. You're Spanish project went really well today." Zeke says.

The seven other teenagers there can hear the understatement to that last comment. It's not just Zeke congratulating Chad. It's him pointing out that Chad has all this time to spend with **Zeke's** girlfriend.

"Do you have a problem Baylor?" Chad calls him out.

"Whoa, let's just back this up guys." Troy nudges Chad back. "Go for a walk Chad."

Everyone completely ignores Troy's instructions. There's a first time for everything.

"Yeah, I actually do have a problem. I have a problem that you're ALWAYS with Taylor!"

Flames are being ignited and nothing can blow out the fuse that started between Zeke and Chad. It's been eight long months since Zeke and Chad had a proper conversation, and now an argument is to replace that.

The two girls are surprised that neither one has made a move to start something more physical as you can feel the tension between the sweaty guys. Gabriella and Kelsi share a look before looking more hesitant towards the basketball guys. Kelsi can't help but shake a little while being hit with a cold wind.

"Are you still cold?" Ryan asks Kelsi as she shivers again when the wind picks up a little.

"Obviously, hence the shivering." Jason snaps and Ryan narrows his eyes. "Here Kelsi, I have some gloves in my bag."

"Or I can just give her mine." Ryan takes off his black gloves and hands them to a stunned Kelsi.

Somehow within the two different conversations going on, Gabriella finds herself tuning into both of them at the same time while slowly backing up to the point where the back of her knees hit the bleachers.

Kent's at her side too while staring at her friends through big eyes.

"This is one of the reasons why I don't stay in one group for too long," he whispers quietly to Gabriella who numbly nods. It feels like a line is being drawn between her friends, but maybe the line was already there? It's just becoming permanent.

"Smart move," she whispers back as everyone knows that Kent is one of the most popular kids at the school seeing as he basically sleeps around with anyone who wears a skirt, although he is also one of the nicest guys too.

Troy hears Jason and Ryan lowly talking; the Jason/Kelsi/Ryan triangle finally coming to surface between the three. It's kind of sad considering Ryan and Kelsi just got onto good terms with each other again.

"Maybe if Bolton here wasn't fucking with Sharpay's feelings then I would have more time for Tay." Zeke hisses, and that pulls Troy into this argument.

"Time-out here! What do you mean by that?" He spits out and steps past Chad.

"Maybe if you weren't busy '_drawing'_, whatever that means, with Gabriella then things with Sharpay would be better." Zeke says with much more anger than usual.

"Guys, just cool it. We can all get along," Kelsi says in a small voice as she stands in the middle of Jason and Ryan.

"Who are you trying to kid? You can't seriously expect me to believe that you're just friends." Jason blocks out what Kelsi just said and continues to glare at Ryan.

"Yeah, I do. It's kind of like how you and Gabi are. Just friends, right?" Ryan taunts as Kelsi looks panicked.

"You guys, come on. Just stop, please? Ryan and I are just friends Jase." She looks up at him, but he doesn't even glance down.

"Just friends?" Jason asks gruffly while glaring at Ryan who is smirking a little. His eyes are taunting Jason as Kelsi's too busy staring up at Jason to see behind herself.

"Yea," she breaths out thinking that Jason is cooling down with her answer in this situation. "Just friends."

"You might want to tell _him_ that!" Jason snaps.

"Why don't you watch who you're talking too. I don't think Kelsi appreciates getting talked to in that tone." Ryan muses with a crooked smile. Jason knows friends don't look like that.

Jason walks past Kelsi. "I'd back up if I were you," Ryan advised as his tone changed drastically.

"You guys!" Kelsi screeches. "Just stop!"

"Do you have a problem with me?! Because if you do I'd really like to hear it!"

Ryan shrugs with a glower to him. "I'm pretty sure I don't, but maybe if you round up your groupies then we can talk." Ryan turns towards Kelsi. "You do know about his track record, right?"

"Why don't you just back off. It's obvious you're scaring her." Jason snaps as Kelsi backs away from the two furious boys. Jason walks closer to Ryan and tweaks him on the shoulder. "Mind your own damn business."

"Fine." Ryan makes a half turn as if he's actually going to walk away, but what he did next surprises everyone; enough to make Troy and Zeke stop hissing at each other and stare. Ryan cocks back his arm and swings full blast at Jason's jaw and watches as he doubles over while clutching his injured face.

Jason's reflexes aren't slow as he stands up and clenches his fists. He swings back in retaliation and hits Ryan in the lower stomach.

Kelsi backs even more away, and opens her mouth to speak, but finds it impossible. Instead she does the one thing that comes to anybodies mind: she runs.

Neither boy notices as they claw at each other that the girl that they're fighting for is missing.

--

Neither Troy nor Zeke notice that somehow Chad calmed himself out of the argument that originally started between Zeke and him, and is now staring in disbelief.

"Knock it off you guys!" Gabriella scolds frantically as she looks to where you can see Kelsi's retreating back becoming a mere dot in the distance now. "KELSI!"

Kent senses Gabriella's distress and usually he would let fights happen, but instead he starts after Ryan and yanks him back with full force.

As much as Chad wants to keep watching Zeke and Troy slam each other, he thinks they're done as he realizes that everything is fucked up. What the hell are they doing fighting? Especially about girls?!

Chad moves quickly and grabs Jason by the back of his shirt and whips him around. "Knock it off man." Chad warns lowly.

Troy is breathing heavily as he glances at Gabriella who's trying to calm Jason down with no avail. He knows what he's doing is wrong. Fighting with Zeke over Sharpay and Gabriella, and Gabriella isn't even his girlfriend. It's a sign. A sign that tells him what he has to do; what he should've done a long time ago. It is time to say goodbye to Sharpay Evans.

"Fuck you Baylor," Troy growls while starting to walk away, but something about the way he chuckles, the way he's smiling and taunting him makes Troy turn back around. "Shouldn't you be worrying about your own girlfriend instead of mine?"

Zeke takes a step closer, "Someone has to satisfy her."

Troy can't contain it as he pulls back his fist and jams it into Zeke's chiseled stomach. Troy pulls back and flexes his fist; it hurts a lot more than what he thought it would.

--

Ryan breaks free of Kent's grip and goes to punch Jason, but Chad yanks him back yet again and instead ends up getting a split lip from Ryan before Kent can pull him back.

"Oh my God…" Gabriella breaths out as she sees Zeke give Troy one really good punch to the ribs. "Stop!" She yells as she forgets about soothing Jason or pushing Ryan back and goes to intervene with Troy and Zeke. "What the hell are you guys doing?!" She demands.

Troy punches Zeke in the face, but Zeke is quick to come back and knock Troy in the eye.

Gabriella feels her head spin as she just watches and quickly turns around to see that at least Ryan and Jason have stopped. They both have some cuts, and Ryan is holding his side in pain as they're both breathing heavily, but they've stopped.

Gabriella doesn't think as she puts herself in the middle of Troy and Zeke and tries to push Troy back. "Knock it off Troy!"

He pushes past her as it's too hard to tell as their fists collide with skin. Gabriella's jammed in the middle; trying to get the two separated. Trickles of blood land on the perfect cement and every boy there knows that they're not gonna be able to forget this fight. Growls of frustration can be heard along with Ryan, Jason, and Chad's heavy breathing.

Gabriella gets shoved out of the way, and she knows that she's completely lost it. She launches herself in the middle of the two enraged boys, and no one knows what truly happened, as a fist came out of nowhere and collided with Gabriella in an attempt to hit the other boy.

Gabriella's face flings to the side and she stumbles back, and Jason rushes forward along with Chad to steady her. Zeke and Troy stop frozen as Gabriella's yelp is heard.

She gingerly turns her head back and fingers her side of the face where a bruise is surely gonna be; staring at the two boys who are breathing raggedly.

"Brie…" Troy starts to say, but doesn't know how that happened. One minute him and Zeke are fighting over something so inconvenient, and the next Gabriella is getting punched in the face?

"Gabi…" Zeke adds while trailing off and wiping his torn fist on his used to be perfect white t-shirt.

"Don't." Gabriella whispers while she backs away, and out of Chad's and Jason's reach. "Just don't." She says with pain, but not from the punch, from the pain of watching five friends fight over something as simple as girls. Or at least as simple as they get.

"Are you okay?" Jason asks right away. All of a sudden everything to him seems like it doesn't matter. One of his best friends is obviously hurt, and it's partly his fault.

Gabriella's eyes connect with his, "I think we both know that I've taken harder hits than that." There's a silence as Gabriella takes her hand down from her bruised skin. "God you guys! Don't you see what you're doing?!"

They're silent.

"You guys are beating each other over what?! A bunch of girls?! Pathetic," Gabriella spits out. "This isn't what senior year is about. It's supposed to be about being with your friends one last year, it's about having fun, pulling pranks, winning trophies, and God, dare I even say it? It's about schoolwork!"

"Brie, we're sor--"

"Don't come near me." Gabriella walks backwards and doesn't turn around to stop facing them, as if she's afraid that they'd jump her if she did look away. "Just don't. How about instead of seeing if I'm okay, why don't you ask yourselves that. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go back to my room. Jason, there's no way I'm going on a walk with you tonight."

"Gabi, it's dark out." Jason points out and Gabriella stops on the edge of the pathway. "At least let me walk you back."

She bites her bottom lip nervously and looks around for the first time and notices that the overhead lights are turning off slowly, one-by-one. She does the only thing she can think of.

"Kent, can you walk me to my room?"

He looks around unsurely as Jason and Troy are sending him daggers, but walks over to Gabriella anyways. "Yeah. Sure thing Montez."

* * *

The last thing Taylor expected was to answer the door to her room and find Chad there with a split lip looking miserable.

After coming home from tennis practice Taylor sat down to finish up an assignment for her advanced math class, and English class. She figured that she should probably finish the two things before the weekend comes and she's scrambling around on Saturday after coming back from the fieldtrip, and then going straight to tennis practice.

But here she is, looking at a Chad who she doesn't recognize. Screw her English paper.

"What the hell happened?" She asks in a whisper considering it's past curfew by a good couple of minutes, and their dorm advisor who just happens to be the known Ms. Darbus has her room next to Taylor's.

Taylor doesn't wait for Chad to say anything as she slowly coaxes him into the room by putting her hand gently on his shoulder--not sure if there's anything else wrong with him--and leads him to her bed.

Chad's in shock. And when he goes into shock he goes with his first instincts. He throws out all rational thoughts that tell him to go back to his room, go back to where his best friend is to hear him muttering in coherent words about how screwed he is with Gabriella.

Instead his first instincts told him to go to where he felt the most comfortable, and despite the fact how messed up this year has been so far with their friendship, he still feels comfortable around Taylor. Around her he can be his funny self, arrogant self, relaxed self, or his sensual self. He can let down his most guarded barriers and just tell her what he's actually thinking. People would be surprised if he actually told them what goes on in his brain.

"Are you okay?" Taylor asks as their three years of friendship comes down to this moment.

"No." He answers honestly. "No I'm not."

Taylor opens her mouth to say something, anything to calm his distraught self, but he cuts her off.

"Because in a matter of months we'll be filling out college applications, retaking tests that we crapped out on last year, graduating, and eventually moving on, and I don't think you understand." His tone is quiet, but yet he gets his point across firmly.

"Understand what Chad? Understand what?" She coos.

Chad shuts his eyes for a brief second. How much more can their friendship get fucked up?

He looks deeply into her dark eyes that have speckles of light in them. "Understand how much I care for you." He hesitantly reaches up and touches her cheek.

She doesn't pull away.

"Understand how much I want to be with you. Understand how long I've waited for you." He whispers breathlessly.

There's a feeling in the pit of Taylor's stomach. It's a sign, neither good nor bad. A sign that she can learn to ignore.

"Chad, you know I'm with Zeke."

He merely scoffs, "I think we both know that's been over a long time ago." He looks deeply into her eyes still. "Tell me you don't feel anything. ANYTHING at all and I'll stop."

"Stop what?" She asks in an unknown husky voice that's just hanging onto every word he's speaking.

He slowly leans in. while his thumb that's softly stroking over her cheek doesn't stop it's ministrations. "I'm gonna start kissing you, and when I do, I don't know if I'll be able to stop. So tell me, tell me that you don't feel anything, and I'll leave right now."

Their eyes don't leave each others, and the feeling in Taylor's stomach grows three sizes too much. And that's when she realizes it. It's not a pain of guilt, sorrow, or regret. It's a pain filled with anticipation. Anticipation of what's going to happen…with Chad.

Chad takes that she isn't pulling a way a sign that he should continue, and that he does.

Their lips meet in a soft, yet lustful passion, and Taylor gingerly wraps her arms around his neck; bringing him closer.

Butterflies erupt in her stomach as she hasn't been kissed this thoroughly in what feels like forever. He slowly lowers her down on the bed so they're parallel to each other. Their lips never breaking in contact.

Soon the kisses became urgent. The more they did the sinful act, the more they crave it. Hands run through hair, over clothes, over indescribable body parts.

Chad breaks the kiss once he feels Taylor's hands slowly go for the hem of his shirt. He leans his forehead down on hers.

It's as if they can read each other's mind through their eyes. Chad's asking her if she's sure about what they're doing, and Taylor's quickly asking herself that too before her hand starts moving again and the shirt is discarded on the ground.

Taylor's yellow tank top is soon to follow, and if Chad was being his usual self, he would've made some smart ass comment about her wearing no bra, but Taylor knows there's something different. Something different about him right in that moment, and all of a sudden all hand movements stop from him, and she's growing impatient with his waiting.

"What are you doing?" She asks with an irregular breathing pattern.

"…memorizing."

A smile breaks out on Taylor's face, and she's never felt so wanted before.

He lowers his head again and their lips meet in a hurry. Their hands pick up from where they were before. Her hands are playing with fire as her fingertip dance along the hem of his athletic shorts.

Chad kisses down her neck and to her bare chest while sucking ever so lightly; emitting a light moan from Taylor's mouth.

As their legs tangle Taylor is brought back into reality as she can feel the semi bulge in his shorts.

She should stop. She has Zeke and he says he loves her, and vice versa. But what if love isn't enough? She wants to feel wanted, and right now Chad is doing everything she should be doing with Zeke, but she can't find enough will power to stop him at the moment.

She runs her hand over the red material, and feels him get just the little bit more harder within her grasp. She bites back a hungry moan as his teeth swirl around her nipples on her supple breasts.

He rolls his hips over her to let her know even more just how much he wants her.

Taylor gently guides the shorts and his boxers down his muscular legs at a snails pace.

"God Tay," Chad moans into her neck as soon as he kicks the shorts and boxers down the rest of his legs and to the floor. "What are you doing to me?" He whispers to himself more than anybody else.

She leaves butterfly kisses over his chest and shoulders, her fingers getting closer to the now fully erect penis.

His breathing hitches in his throat as he pushes past the pleasure knowing he won't last long if he concentrates at all on what Taylor is doing to him, and instead busies himself with gliding her boxer shorts down her dark legs, and leaving her in a pair of lace panties.

Her hand starts moving up and down while her eyes flutter close. The emotions Chad is making her feel while kissing around her most private regions is sending sparks through her body.

Their bodies mold together while Chad takes it upon himself the job of getting rid of the last article of clothing between them.

"You're so beautiful Tay." He whispers against her neck while sucking with more force, his need for her taking over. She's pumping more vigorously now, and he knows he needs her, if anything, more now than ever.

He trails a line of kisses up her neck, jaw line, and to her lips where they meet in a slow passionate kiss. "Are you sure?" He asks.

As if they're eyes are telling them what they need to know, Taylor lets go of Chad, and spreads her legs a little wider. He gradually guides himself into Taylor in one sleek motion; both bodies adjusting to each other.

The **want** and **need** for each other visible within each look, touch, and moan.

* * *

"Are you ever gonna tell me what happened to your lip?" Taylor asks in the quiet air as they lay cuddled together under the covers.

Chad shuts his eyes while Taylor adjusts herself on his chest. She doesn't see the distant look on his face as he remembers what went down on the basketball court before.

"…It doesn't matter right now."


	26. How You Remind Me

_It's not like you to say sorry  
I was waiting on a different story  
This time I'm mistaken  
For handing you a heart worth breakin'  
And I've been wrong, I've been down  
Been to the bottom of every bottle  
These five words in my head  
Scream "Are we having fun yet?"_  
How You Remind Me--Nickelback

* * *

Troy knows what he has to do. He's probably known since sophomore year when he caught Sharpay cheating on him, but he didn't have the heart to just dump her; although he did have the heart to cheat right back, but then they were back on track. He understands people mess up, and he understands that even more as he remembers the previous night seeing as he has a nice bruise around his eye, and two other black bruises on his ribs and stomach.

But now he's the one who's made the mistake. The mistake of leading Sharpay on for various lengths of time, and he's finally ready to admit that.

He sees the girls' dorm come into view and takes in the various girls and boys who are already out and about on that Friday morning getting ready for classes and breakfast. But what stops him dead in his tracks is the brown haired boy who's coming straight for him.

Jason looks neither mad nor happy as he's moving with a troubled face on. A face that can tell anyone that he's thinking about something too deeply.

The two boys come face to face, within five feet of each other, and the air becoming stiff. Neither boy particularly has a grudge against the other one, but just seeing the evidence on the other one with the bruise around Troy's eye and the light purple color on Jason's chin, is enough to remind them of a night no one wants to remember.

Jason's the first one to take the plunge and say something. "…Hey, um…you look like shit man."

Troy's jaw relaxes while a smile grows on his face; feeling just a tad bit better at just the simplest of comments. "Have you seen yourself?" Troy jokes back with a chuckle they share together.

"Last night man was…" Jason trails off while scratching behind his ear; a nervous habit while blocking out the wincing sensation in his mid stomach.

"…fucked up?" Troy fills in with a grimace. "I think my eye can tell you better than words. Zeke sure knows how to hit."

"You don't remember?" Jason asks with slight amusement. Troy gives him a deadpanned look. Jason chuckles once more. "Obviously not, but don't you remember at all? While you and me and practically everyone else at this high school went to some stuck up private elementary school and middle school, Zeke went to a public one. He had a lot more free time than we did considering the different circumstances, and he picked up boxing as an extra hobby."

Troy searches his memory. It sounds familiar as he knows that Zeke only went public because there was no private schools near him, and his parents didn't want to send him away too soon before high school; mostly the reason why he came to their high school his sophomore year instead of freshmen, but that now makes sense. He does remember Zeke telling him how from 6th to 9th grade he did learn how to box for fun.

"And nobody warned me ahead of time?!" Troy exclaims dramatically. "I also have some pretty good bruises on my ribs too."

"I think we were all too busy trying to defend our own asses than warn you that Zeke has a killer right hook." Jason bites back his smile as Troy rolls his eyes.

"Right, so I'm just gonna get going." Troy says awkwardly, "I have urm…things to take care of. You know…people to see. That kind of shit."

He didn't even make it ten steps past Jason before Jason halfway pieced together what Troy meant. The part where it underlined the fact that Troy is seriously into Gabriella, but is still with Sharpay, and is going to do something about that.

"Troy?" Jason wonders as he turns around to face him again.

"hmm?"

Jason the previous night had worked out various things to say to Gabriella; to warn her about everything that could go wrong, but hearing the tidbits of what was said between Zeke and Troy he knew then that something was different.

"Don't hurt her."

Troy and Jason are on the same track as they just seem to understand each other in that moment of time.

"I don't plan too."

* * *

Chad hazily opens his blurry eyes. His lips are dry and cracked, but the most dominant pain comes from the side of his mouth where the split is. He blinks his eyes once again to take in his surroundings and notices for the first time that he's not even in his room.

There's no basketball posters, but there's Harvard posters. There's no second bed with a sleeping Troy, but there's an actual desk that is stacked with books. There's no girl in bed with him like it's supposed to be either.

He sits up from laying down on his back and for the first time notices that there's a yellow post-it note next to his set of curls.

_--Chad--_

…_I had an early class. We NEED to talk soon._

_--Taylor--_

Chad lets the sheet roll down his hardened stomach to bunch at his waist as he looks at the time. 8:20 a.m. He sees his clothes are already folded at the foot of her bed and rolls his eyes as the neat freak shines through her personality, but nonetheless smiles at how cute it makes her.

He smiles as he thinks back to the previous night, but groans once he sees something flashing on the bedside table. He picks up his cell phone to see that it says he has seven text messages.

All of a sudden he doesn't want to get up. Maybe he'll just stay there until Taylor gets back.

* * *

He knocks tentatively on the door until the blonde opens the door with an annoyed look on her face until she realizes it's him and grins from ear to ear. It makes him even sicker just looking at her face knowing he's gonna be hurting her, but it's gonna be better for everyone in the future, right?

"What the hell happened to your face?!" She exclaims and Troy winces. This was not the greeting he expected, but then again he showed up at her doorstep with a black eye, of course she's going to ask, but then again a part of him wished that Sharpay might have seen Gabriella and had her tell her what went down the previous night.

Troy slowly reaches up to his right eye and fingers the black and purple bruise around his eyesight. "It's nothing. Can I come in?" He doesn't wait for her to answer as he pushes past.. He looks around hesitantly as he doesn't spot the brunette anywhere, but that is for the better he convinces himself. He'll just have to talk to her yet again at where they're at in the relationship department later on after doing this thing with Sharpay.

Sharpay shuts the door and turns on Troy to greet him with a huge, wet kiss from her newly applied lipstick. When she turns back to her vanity and sits down, Troy wipes his mouth off with the back of his hand to only pull back and see the red substance.

Sharpay knows enough than to question Troy's attitude when she can already hear the annoyance, anger, and maybe even a little bit of nerves in his tone. She knows even more when he comes to her with a visible bruising on his body than to question him twice, let alone a first time if it looks very bad. She should've known to keep her mouth shut when he showed up so he wouldn't snap at her, but she couldn't help it. It's not who she is. Sharpay Evans never keeps her mouth shut; unless someone gives her good reason too.

"So what's up?" She looks pointedly at him through the mirror while setting down her lip stick that she just reapplied again.

He walks forward a couple of steps before turning around and walking back the same paces. He racks his hand through his hair.

"We have to talk…and I'm not really sure how to do this," he admits more to himself than to her. He shuts his eyes while sighing quietly. When he opens his eyes he sees that Sharpay has barely moved and is now kinking an eye brow.

"Well, it's almost time for class so you better just say it before you run out of time." Sharpay demands. "I have drama right away and I can't be late. We have a lot of things to prepare for with the musical."

Troy sighs while diverting his eyes away from her; knowing that in a matter of minutes he'll be the reason why she won't have this fierceness to her, why she won't have brown eyes, but instead light gray emotionless eyes, why no matter how much makeup she uses, you'll be able to tell that she's paler.

But it's for the greater good, right? He can't keep stringing her along. Any reassurances he used to get from her went down the drain a long time ago. Now it is just becoming another obstacle of growing up to be with her still. It isn't right, and hopefully in the future Sharpay will understand.

"Shar…I don't think I can do this," he admits. It has possibly two meanings. 1) he really doesn't know how to break up with her, and 2) he doesn't think he can be in a relationship.

"Do what?"

Troy looks up and smiles at her sadly. "You know, these past three years have been good. GREAT even."

Sharpay knows what's coming next, and she finds it ironic that it's him that's telling her that they're over. Even after she 'accidentally' cheated on him sophomore year, she was the one to tell him that maybe they should go on a break for the Christmas Vacation time they had. He was the one to make first eye contact with her getting back after the new year, and he was the one who spoke first to her about what he did with this other girl back home. It wasn't her that went back to him. Oh yeah, she was sad, depressed even, but she hid it well, and she'll be forced to do it again. But she finds it a sick funny that he's actually the one breaking up with her, and not the other way around.

"I thought you loved me?" She asks in a tone that he expected. A tone that held no life to it. A tone that is so unlike Sharpay Evans.

"Maybe we rushed things?" He supplies weakly.

A sudden thing occurs in Sharpay that surprises Troy. "You can't rush things after three years," she snaps in her commanding tone.

She narrows her eyes on him; forgetting all about finishing her make up and doing her eye shadow. She forgets that she wanted to put her hair up for the day since it's supposed to be windy. She forgets that she laid out her pink sparkly high heeled shoes to wear with her outfit for the day.

"So that's it? YOU'RE actually dumping ME?!" She asks exasperated. She laughs out loud in a cruel way, and if he isn't mistaken, you can hear the soft hurt in the harsh noise. "That's just great! You just made my day Troy Bolton!" Sharpay says sarcastically.

The way that he's looking at her, she knows that he isn't going to be coming back later in the week to ask for forgiveness.

"Shar--"

"Don't call me that," She hisses.

Troy sighs while shifting his weight uncomfortably. "Sharpay, I'm sorry." he splutters quietly. "I've made so many mistakes, and I've been…using you," he chokes out.

Sharpay shuts her eyes while trying to block out his little confession. She needs to stay in control, or at least stay in control when he's around.

"Stop."

"I'm sorry. You need to hear this though. I've been stringing you along for a while now, and it's not fair. I deserve for you to hate me. For you to scream and yell at me. I deserve it all."

"Get out," she demands while her eyes lose all color and grow to be several shades darker than normal gray. They hold venom in them; enough to make anyone shrink backwards and towards the nearest exit in the room.

Troy nods his head. He quickly looks at his only option out of the room and then back to his fuming ex. "Sorry," he mutters quietly, and then quickly ushers himself out before Sharpay really decides to hurt him.

After the door closes Sharpay is left standing in the middle of her room. She looks around helplessly as everything finally crumbles inside of her. What did she do wrong?

A single tear runs down her face before she slumps down to the ground and pulls her legs up to her chest. It takes everything inside of her--or at least what is left inside of her--to keep herself from ruining everything in sight.

* * *

_A fourteen year old Taylor shut the door to the too big of a house that is supposedly her families 'summer' house even though they only stay there for two weeks out of July._

_She dropped her tennis bag near the door; finally getting some feeling back into her shoulder from serving over two hundred balls at the tennis camp she's doing for that one week._

_The first thing she did is walk through the furnished living room, dining room, and then finally reaching the kitchen that held a swinging door to the hallway that circles around her house that leads to a staircase._

_She opened the fridge right when the swinging door opened, and a very disheveled guy practically jogged in, and froze in his spot once their eyes connected._

_Taylor didn't even get to take a bite of her apple as she took in the familiar man's appearance. _

_He had sandy blonde hair that is very thick and wavy. His dark green eyes sparkled with guilt while finally avoiding eye contact with her. His polo shirt isn't buttoned right, and very wrinkled. His shoes aren't even tied all the way for crying out loud._

"_Are you lost?" Taylor asked with attitude. She can't believe that her mother is with the gardener again!_

"_Just looking for a glass of water. That's all honey."_

_Taylor inwardly cringed at the little nickname this 'friendly' man gave almost everyone he talked to who was the opposite gender as him._

"_I better get to work out back. You guys have lots of weeds and such." _

_Taylor shut her eyes in pain as the door swung open and closed again. She didn't hear the clicks on the tiling of the kitchen._

"_How was tennis sweetie? You got home earlier than I expected." Her mother spoke with such clarity, such concern, such a motherly tone._

_Taylor ripped her eyes open; all of a sudden forgetting that she was hungry._

"_How could you!? You promised you weren't going to hurt dad anymore!" Taylor accused._

_Her mother took a calming breath, and kept the cheerful fake smile on her face. If Taylor took away the fact that she's caught her mother cheating on her father for the past two years away from their relationship, then maybe Taylor's mother could be counted as caring and nice._

"_Sweetie, you know it's not like that. I love your father."_

_Taylor rolled her eyes. "I can't keep watching you do this mother. I refuse."_

"_Then maybe it's a good thing you're going away to Davidson Academy?"_

_Taylor sighed sadly, gripping her hands into fists, trying to refrain herself. "I know it is."_

* * *

Taylor feels sick inside. Her head is pounding in a head ache form to the point where she thinks she's literally going to collapse. Her stomach is turning so much that she's surprised it hasn't exploded yet. Her feet are moving slower and slower as she's nearing her bedroom door to collect the next set of books she needs before lunch time; not knowing what to expect when she enters.

A really, REALLY small part of her wishes that Chad is still there, and the other really, REALLY big part wishes that he's gone so that she can just think about the situation she got herself in.

Is the feeling regret?

That's one question that she has no answer too, and it almost brings tears to her eyes just thinking about the previous night with him. 'Almost' is the key word.

Even though Taylor was hoping that Chad had cleared out by now, she isn't surprised as she sees him sitting on her desk chair, looking over her desk at the bulletin board she keeps on the wall with her schedule, pictures, letters, and other papers that show her neat hand writing on them.

There's an unknown tension in the room as the air becomes thicker. He swivels around in the chair to stare at her; a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Hey."

Taylor shuts the door behind herself slowly while keeping eye contact with him. "…Hi."

This is all wrong, but yet it feels so right.

"I've been waiting for you," he states while finally giving into the smile that reaches his eyes.

Taylor has to think of one thing: is this new, weird relationship with Chad good enough to give away her 8 month relationship with Zeke?

She can't even bring herself to think about it.

Maybe this is what her mother feels like every time she's fucking the gardener when they go to their summer house?

"How was class?" He asks while standing up. Neither one taking their eyes off the other.

"We both know that's not what you want to ask," she states while trying to keep her cool.

He takes a step closer to her in the medium sized room. He smiles sheepishly at her. "You caught me."

He takes another step closer, and Taylor hesitates before keeping her ground, and still not taking her eyes away from him. The sick feeling coming back to her stomach more than ever.

He lowers his head some, and brushes his lips over hers. "Chad…we can't." She forces out.

"I've been watching you ever since freshmen year," he states quietly.

"Chad…we can't," she says again with a lost less force, if that's even possible.

His eyes connect with hers. "I don't see you moving."

Both sets of lips gravitate towards the other.

* * *

Gabriella gingerly feels the bruise on her face as she managed to somewhat disguise it earlier in the day, but by now her make up has almost completely come off, and the angry red and purple mark is making itself known, and it's just gonna be becoming clearer and clearer as she sweats during soccer practice.

She enters her room, and stops dead in her tracks. She knows Sharpay was probably going to be there. She hadn't seen her all day, not even in the one class they have together. Gabriella just figures she was sick, but now seeing the red puffy eyes of her roommate, she knows something happened.

Sharpay is sitting on her bed cross legged in dark blue sweats with just a plain white tank top. Her hair is in a very messy bun, and her eyes are blood shot. She sniffles, but doesn't look up as she's too busy looking down at a picture in front of her.

Gabriella quietly shuts the door behind herself without turning fully around so she can maintain eye contact on Sharpay. Something happened, and Gabriella needs to make sure that everything is going to be okay. There's only one thing that can make Sharpay melt down like this, or at least there's only one thing Gabriella is aware of: Troy Bolton.

Gabriella's almost afraid to ask if something's wrong with him, and she knows that he's not even hers to worry about. But they are friends, and friends worry about friends.

"…Sharpay?" Gabriella questions tentatively. She looks up and Gabriella holds back a gasp as she sees tears running down her cheeks. She quickly gets a glimpse of the picture Sharpay is looking at, and she recognizes it to be the one that Sharpay keeps by her bed of Troy and her on top of some mountain peak. "What's wrong?"

Sharpay's eyes try to glare at Gabriella. She wants to blame her for everything that went wrong with her and Troy, but she finds that she can't even do that. She can't even convince herself that it was Gabriella who came in between them because deep down she knows that they were over long before that.

Instead, more tears run down her face. Something she promised herself she wouldn't allow herself to do. "Troy broke up with me!" Sharpay sobs.

Gabriella's eyes go wide with shock and her heart skips a beat. Her mouth goes dry as she doesn't know what to say or do. Sharpay hisses something and Gabriella hears a rip of a picture. The brunette looks down at the ground guiltily, "I'm sorry Sharpay."

"I don't need your sympathy Montez!" She snarls. Gabriella bites her bottom lip while giving a small understanding nod. She quickly picks up her duffel bag that holds her soccer stuff in it, and rushes out of the room.

She blinks back confusion as she takes a few calming breaths.

At least Sharpay is still bitchy towards her.

* * *

Jason looked all over school for Gabriella and Kelsi. He searched all day when he wasn't in class, and the two classes that he had with them neither of them paid any attention to him, and as the first ring of the bell sounded, they would already be out the door.

He had maintained eye contact with Gabriella for at least ten seconds. He got a good look at the light bruising she had that mirrored his bruise on his chin, but the only difference is that his is a lot darker than hers, but then again it's not like he's gonna wear make up to cover it. As he maintained eye contact he took that as the signal that at least she isn't completely mad at him, or else she wouldn't have even given him those ten seconds of the day.

But the real problem is that now here he is, in the girls' lobby waiting for Kelsi. He doesn't know if she's coming or not, but he's waiting for her. He should be nervous because this is their first date, but he's more nervous now about the fact that she won't even show up. Why would she anyways? He practically ruined all chances with her the previous night. Maybe even petrified her in the process.

A small clearing of the throat takes him out of his horrible thinking, and he quickly turns around from standing in front of the fire place to see a timid looking Kelsi looking especially beautiful that night.

She stays on her side of the room, and he doesn't take a step forward like he would have done if they weren't in this weird awkward moment. He wasn't even sure if she was going to show, but now that she has, he has no idea what to say. Should he apologize?

"You clean up nice," she says quietly.

He shrugs sheepishly. "I was more trying to focus on if you were coming than my wardrobe for the evening." He now takes a small step forward as Kelsi's eyes are trained on his bruised chin. "I'm so, SO sorry about last night. I never meant--I didn't mean--it got WAY out of hand! Things shouldn't have escalated like that, and I'm just sorry," words seemed to be pouring out of his mouth before he could even think about them.

Kelsi walks further into the room.

"I have the car all set, the driver is waiting for us, and I totally understand if you think that I'm a complete asshole, but I'm just asking for one more chance," he keeps rambling.

Kelsi just wants to forge through this night without talk of the previous day. She wants to remember her first date with Jason as a good night, and not a night of apologizing.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Kelsi giggles softly. That immediately quiets him.

He has a straight face on.

"Yes. Yes you are. Shall we?" He offers her his hand, and she shyly takes it. He sends her a grin as he looks at her from the side. "I'm really glad you decided to come. I was so nervous."

Kelsi nods her head while biting her bottom lip out of her own nerves. "I know how you feel."

* * *

"You need to leave," Taylor states quietly.

"I should," He agrees with the same tone.

"I don't see you moving."

"Give me some time, I don't have super speed." He chuckles while shifting on the bed, but making no actual movement to leave.

"You're gonna have to leave sooner or later Chad," Taylor states.

He sighs while looking down at the beauty in his arms, "I think we need to talk."

"What about?" She plays dumb even though they both know that she's neither that nor smart right now.

He sighs while running a hand through her hair, "I can't keep doing this Tay. We're either together or not, but I won't have it both ways. You either let me in all the way or not at all." He informs her softly. "You can tell Zeke, and get it over with, or lose me by saying nothing."

Taylor shuts her eyes. Everything's happening too fast. "Chad, I can't even wrap my mind around this, much less make a decision."

Chad shakes his head sadly while detangling himself from her. "The balls in your hand, I suggest you get rid of it before it rolls away on it's own."

Taylor stares at the door after it closes. A bigger pain erupting in her body as she forces the picture of Zeke's heartbroken face out of her mind.

* * *

"How many instruments can you play?" Jason asks with amazement in his voice as this is the second time he's asked this, but he still can't believe the answer he's receiving.

Kelsi giggles while taking a quick lick from her ice cream cone. So far the date has gone smoothly. They went mini golfing and Jason took all the first shots to show Kelsi which direction to hit the ball. They talked from a range of school work to their families. They also spent the majority of the time talking about various movies that they like since they're both big movie people.

"I only play five, but I'm working on mastering the flute to make it six," she states proudly while they're walking on the boardwalk of downtown. Various streetlights are on to lead the way while various stores are already closed, the food places are exceptions. Other people pass them as they're either in couple formation or by themselves too.

"That's…that's…very impressive. I think I can play the drums…a little. If you count just hitting them with sticks," he adds sheepishly.

"You're lucky I count that then," she says shyly while she looks away from his face and straight ahead of herself.

Her left hand that isn't holding her ice cream cone is dangling at her side while his right hand that isn't holding his chocolate shake is inching closer and closer. Their fingers tentatively brush, and he glances sideways at her before finally clasping her cold hand in his own.

He had never felt this way around a girl before. So excited, nervous, and _different._ Even with Gabriella he felt a lot more confident. He knew what he was doing; along with all the other girls he's been with, but then again, all his past relationships had come to an end. But then he's with Kelsi, and he finds that they like the same things, they disagree with movies so they get into bigger conversations and justifications on why the Wizard of Oz is a classic, he can ask her questions about her past without having to double think, and yet…here he is acting all shy around her.

* * *

"You're one hard person to find Troy Bolton. Especially when you come to MY safe haven," Gabriella says with sarcasm.

Troy flashes her a quick smile while his hands nervously play with each other. His body shifts over on the big boulder he is sitting on to make room for Gabriella who sits down next to him.

There's a silence as each one is just thinking of things.

Troy just needed to get away from the whispers back at their school. Somehow word got out that he broke up with Sharpay, and he doesn't even know how. From his best knowledge, Sharpay didn't even leave her room that day, but there's also a rumor going around that Sharpay told Jackie who stopped by her room and that's how everything started to spread.

Gabriella blocks out the heat that she's feeling from his body as she taps her fingers nervously against her bent knees. She needs answers, and even though it might not be her place to get them, she wants them. Even though she had told Troy numerous times to leave her alone, and has freaked out on him, she still wants to talk to him…she still needs to talk to him. And that just confuses her more.

"So the rumors are true then?" Gabriella asks softly.

Troy nods his head as both of them are avoiding eye contact, and looking out into the deep drop off into the cliffs. "Yup."

Gabriella takes a steady breath that's becoming harder and harder to control. "…why?"

"Because it wasn't right. I couldn't just keep dragging her along; expecting her to always be my fall back when I gave her false hope. It wasn't fair."

Gabriella didn't know if her heart hurt more because in his one explanation her name wasn't mentioned, or it's because she kept imagining Sharpay's hurt face, and she still blames herself for their break up.

"So…uh…it wasn't because of me?" Her voice squeaks meekly.

Troy knows she needs an answer. It isn't right to keep her from the truth, and if anyone, she deserves it more. The past couple of months since her family's death everyone has been holding things back from her, coddling her, but it's time to just let her know the truth without holding back.

"I'm gonna tell you the truth, and I don't know how you'll react." Troy took a breath as Gabriella feels and hears her heart speed up. "Yes. In many ways it was because of you too. I'm not gonna lie. I want something between us. You may not be ready, but I am, and I'm willing to wait."

Gabriella shakes her head as tears prick her eyes. The way he's talking, you can hear the sincerity in his tone from miles away. You can hear the tension, the seriousness, the passion in his voice, and it scares her. She's never heard him talk this serious before, and it's all because of her!

"I'm sorry," Gabriella chokes out as she doesn't even know what she's sorry for, but she somehow gathers enough courage to get off the boulder and back up from Troy. "This isn't right Troy. You just broke up with someone, and," she watches as he gets up and off the boulder himself, and takes a step towards her. She momentarily forgets what she was going to say.

"Why won't you let me in Brie?" Troy caresses her cheek.

Gabriella turns her head and starts to walk away, "Because I don't even let myself in."

"One day you're gonna realize I love you! And when you do, I'll be here waiting!" He promises.

* * *

Kelsi had gone through the whole falling in love thing a couple of years ago. Freshmen year she was convinced that she loved Mark Cruise, but they only ended up dating a month until he broke up with her. Then sophomore year she and Ryan played the whole year dancing around the idea of becoming a couple. She eventually agreed to date the drummer in the school's band, but that ended badly once she realized he only liked her because she could play soccer and instruments. And then Junior year happened and Ryan and her ended up finally becoming a couple.

After three months of dating him, she knew that she was in love with him. It took a month after that for him to tell her, and it was that night that the two shared their first intimate night together. Kelsi felt safe in his presence. She felt like herself when at ease with him. Like nothing could go wrong. He was always reliable. She just grew apart from him, and pretty soon the summer happened and she no longer wanted to rely on Ryan.

But here she is, standing with Jason outside of her building feeling safe. She's at ease with him as the talking and conversations are just coming so natural. She has to wonder to herself why they didn't hit it off before, but then again Jason was always busy with some other thing. She's feeling like nothing can go wrong in this moment. She's feeling all she felt with Ryan, but there's something else. There's something that's added. It's a little uncertainty.

It doesn't feel wrong, but it doesn't feel normal as maybe the reason why they never hung out before has some kind of connection to the feeling she's getting right now. There's something else to Jason that Ryan doesn't have. There's this edge that she can already tell he has. He's more confident, more cocky, more at ease with things. Kelsi can already tell that he's the type of person to take chances and risks, something Ryan doesn't do. Something that most guys Kelsi associates herself with don't have, and this new feeling towards Jason is exciting her.

"I'm glad that you decided to come tonight," Jason says in a tone that's neither pure nor dirty.

"Me too. I had a lot of fun."

Jason looks at her slyly. He's had numerous first dates. Many of them starting and ending in just one night, but he has never taken a girl out their first time together and had that much fun while being at ease around one another. "Maybe I'll be nice enough to take you out to dinner before our study session on Monday?"

Kelsi smiles a little bit more, but plays along to his little game. "Maybe I'll be available."

Jason takes a small step forward, "Maybe I'll pick you up at 5:30."

"Maybe I'll meet you in the lobby."

Jason looks down at the beautiful girl in front of him, and his right hand comes up to softly caress her cheek. The playfulness in his eyes are gone as they're clouded over with something else. Something else that's reflective in Kelsi's eyes as well.

"Maybe I'd like to kiss you right now."

Kelsi feels a blush erupt on her soft cheeks, but doesn't look away like she normally would. "Maybe I'd like that too."

Their lips touch in a soft embrace. Jason gradually pulling Kelsi closer to him as his two hands settle on the middle of her back, wanting to play it safe on the first date, something he wouldn't have thought twice about if he was with any other girl.

Kelsi's own two hands reach up and entwine around his neck, softly stroking the little hairs.

There's something about this kiss that feels right, and who are they to question it?

* * *

**Author's Note--Okay...First, sorry for the wait. Things are going to be going a little slower in the updating category. School is going to be starting in a little less than two weeks, and my tennis season has just started. I made the varsity team, and I have practice every night along with homework, but I'll try to get it out as fast as possible.**

**Second, I just had this huge break through in thinking about my story. I was looking over my outline and basically threw out the last half of the story because I didn't like it, and then I thought about it. Instead of making this story long, and long, and even longer; I'm thinking maybe I can do a sequel. Like, I have some major events happening in the story soon that include everyone as new frienships happen, new relationships are tested, and some things fall apart even more, and I'm thinking now that maybe since Senior year is such a big year with growing up, college applications, and just basically life issues happening, that one story isn't enough to capture it all. **

**So with that said, I'm wondering what you guys think? This story, Love In Disguise, is basically a starting story, introducing characters, telling about their past feelings, relationships, and issues. And as you can see some couples are already giving into one another, but how would you feel about instead of me making this story like sixty chapters long, that I make it a reasonable length with sequals? There would be no waiting time for the sequels coming out, no month long waiting periods as I already have some of the chapters written. **

**And if you can't picture what I'm talking about with my sequel, then as I have told you in like one of the beginning chapters is that I originally got this boarding school idea from The It Girl novels. And if anyone has even read those, the books in the series don't skip four years into the future, they pick up where they left off and sometimes in the book they only cover one week at a time. That's like how I want this story to be like. **

**So what do you think? Feel free to tell me anything you want because now that I have this all planned out, I want to know if I have people on board for this, and if anyone is wondering, I plan on having things with Troy and Gabriella come together hopefully before my sequel, if not then I don't think I'll be able to write it much longer. I can barely stand to see them apart myself.**


	27. Broken

_I'm falling apart  
I'm barely breathing  
With a broken heart  
That's still beating  
In the pain  
There is healing  
In your name  
I find meaning  
So I'm holding on (I'm holdin on)(I'm holdin on)  
I'm barely holding on to you_

Broken--Lifehouse

* * *

"The weekend is over people! It's time that you pull yourselves together and start whipping grades out of your magic little pocket on the left side of your brain. I'm very disappointed in the grades you all received on the test Friday." Mrs. Gribble, the earth science teacher, is circling around the classroom as she's handing back their very first chapter one test.

For a very laid back teacher, she gets disappointed very easily.

"Next time I won't be so lenient on your grades. Class dismissed," she scolds while slapping down the last test in her hand on some kid's desk.

Everyone is moving slowly; a true indicator that it is indeed a Monday. A Monday that for some reason, everyone is slow on. Whether it be because you avoided your boyfriend yet again, or you avoided the one person who is proving himself to be the one person who understands you. Taylor is becoming especially good at that, and it's starting to eat her up inside. To the point where she actually got physically sick with herself and wound up staring at her lunch in the toilet. She still has a decision to make, and the puzzle isn't becoming clearer and clearer.

--

Troy gets out of his seat very quickly which is unusual for a Monday. He glances over at Gabriella who's packing up her bag, and usually he would make small talk. Something to lighten the mood the teacher has just put on them, but he comes up completely blank. Instead, his mind is working into overdrive as to what he should do about Gabriella, and it's coming to a point where he thinks he should get help. Guidance counselors do come in handy.

--

Zeke eyes Taylor carefully while her body's moving with a stiffness to her. He's already getting the vibe that she doesn't want to talk to him for some reason, but it's not like he would know due to the fact that he didn't try to contact her in the past two days; something that's the complete opposite of what he would normally due.

--

"You want me to walk you out?" Jason asks Kelsi while slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

Kelsi glances at Gabriella who's secretly--but failing miserably--sneaking glances at Troy.

"Um…there's actually something I have to talk to Gabi about, so I'll just see you later."

Jason nods his head understandingly. "Alright, well got to go," He quickly presses a kiss to her cheek; not wanting to let a close by blonde get worked up. He has decided since his date with Kelsi that he is going to try to be extra nice to Ryan since obviously he's trying to become Kelsi's friend again, and who ever hangs out with Kelsi, then Jason is going to make an attempt to be apart of that too.

--

"Gabi!" Kelsi calls out before the brunette stops in her tracks and waits for her up the hallway leading to the stairs to descend downwards.

"What's up?" Gabriella asks as they fall into sync.

"That's the thing…I really don't know," she admits while looking down at the ground. "Are we on good terms?"

Gabriella looks at her with alarmed eyes now. "Of course!" She answer quickly. "Unless I did something. I didn't do something, did I? Because I was probably just caught up in the moment or something."

Kelsi lets out a breath, "No. It's not that. I was just wondering if, well…you're not…about Friday…and Jason…" Kelsi trails off hoping Gabriella can piece together what she is trying to say.

Gabriella smiles at Kelsi while they step outside of the stuffy building to be consumed by the breezy air. "Kels, we broke up last January. That's…almost eight months ago exactly. I'm over him, he's over me, and we're just best friends. Nothing more, nothing less. There's no way that I'm mad at you for going out with him. He's a great guy."

Kelsi breathes a sigh of relief, "Thank God because I totally didn't want to like offend you or anything. You're one of my best friends, and I don't want to see you hurt." She says sincerely.

--

Basketball for the guys was horrible on Sunday for two hours. Compared to how Saturday went for the fieldtrip it still went terrible. The field trip was like a warm up for what was to come. The fact that four out of the five guys that were in the fight play in almost all the plays the coaches have set up was like a war zone.

If Troy and Zeke weren't communicating then it was a little Jason and Chad whom Troy can only guess was because Chad decided to hold Jason back on Thursday night. At least Troy and Jason seemed to be getting on like they were recovering from a virus that infected their bodies instead of a fight between a group of friends.

But even though on Thursday night a fight had mostly broken out between Zeke and Troy, Chad was more distant towards Zeke than Troy even was. No words were exchanged between either of the five boys, but yet there seems to be an aura that is exchanged between them. It's healing better than words that makes it less awkward and tension filled. It lets them just go about their day without worry that there might be another fight about to break out.

Zeke's face contorts into confusion as Taylor walks over to him in the classroom. She doesn't question his bruised face that is healing, she doesn't explain what happened to her over the weekend or why she missed the Spanish fieldtrip, and she doesn't state how she all of a sudden decided to ditch her plan of avoidance and come over by him.

"Hey…um…how was the Spanish thing?" Taylor asks in an awkward tone. If only she didn't skip the field trip due to sickness, maybe then the awkward conversation would've happened before Monday.

Zeke looks up at her. "Good. I missed you though."

Both of them don't know the reason behind Zeke's words. Is it because he felt obligated to say that, or did he actually just miss her?

Taylor sighs while a picture of her mother floats through her mind. She has to put a stop to everything. "Zeke, can we um…talk later? More specifically: privately?"

Zeke looks unsure for a moment, "Uh…of course. You can come by my room after your study session with…_Chad_?" He forces his name off of his lips.

Taylor nods her head as neither of them know that Chad overheard their whole conversation. A slight smile toying at his lips.

* * *

"Troy Bolton, is it?" The woman's voice carries through the room, echoing off of the hardware flooring with black rugs, matching the leather couch he's sitting on uncomfortably.

Troy slowly withdraws his hand from his chest as a minute ago he was crossing his arms defensively, and shakes the woman's hand. "…Yeah."

She smiles warmly at him while shaking his hand with equal dominance and sits down across from him. "Miss. Patrick. Now, I understand that this was spur of the moment decision to come here today?"

Troy nods his head slowly. "Um…yeah." He looks around at the beige walls that are supposed to calm you. He sees the pictures of sail boats, beaches, and basically any nature picture. He has to smirk as he knows that these pictures don't even come close to the emotions he feels when looking at Gabriella's photography. "I um…I need to talk to you about something…"

Miss. Patrick nods her head while putting her clipboard aside, crosses her legs, and folds her hands. She recognizes his name from Gabriella and her last session, and she has a feeling about why this boy has come to see her. "Go on," she encourages.

"Okay," Troy says slowly. You can just feel the awkwardness in the air. "So normally I would've gone to one of my friends, and I have A LOT of them. Don't think that I'm like depressed because I don't have any," he adds hastily, and he can feel his forehead starting to get prickly with sweat from the small smile that forms on Miss. Patrick's face.

"You sound nervous Troy."

Troy forces a chuckle. "You're observant."

"Are you nervous?" Miss. Patrick keeps up with the questioning.

"And consistent," he mutters before flashing her a very quick small smile. "Um…it's just, I need…relationship help."

* * *

Gabriella looks around the dining hall, and holds in a groan. She doesn't see the blonde anywhere. The only time Gabriella has seen Sharpay around campus is in their one class together that day, but other than that the only other times has been in their room, and she's always quiet.

It's a scary quiet. There's this tension in the air, and Gabriella has tried to stay out of the room as much as possible over the weekend, but there are times when they both wake up at the same time and they both end up getting ready for the day at the same time. Gabriella knows she's dealing with the break up, but cutting yourself off from your friends and people all together?! That's just not worth it.

Gabriella gets up from the table abruptly.

"Where are you going?" Jason asks.

"Oh um…I just remembered I have…um…things to do."

Gabriella quickly picks up her untouched salad along with her apple and leaves the dining hall. Taylor, Kelsi, and Jason share a confused look, but don't question her as she rushes out.

Gabriella makes her way towards her dorm room and hopes from what she's heard through Kelsi who gets her information from Emma that they're both right and Sharpay is in their room and not the drama building.

Gabriella opens the door and doesn't know if she's more disappointed that Kelsi is right, or that now she's gonna have to follow through with what she planned to do in the lunch room.

Sharpay doesn't even look up as she's still busy going through her photo albums, ripping out the pictures of Troy and her, and then cutting them into thin strips. She's been doing this all weekend, and this may be a way to vent out her frustrations and worries, but it's not good if you're skipping meals and classes to do it.

Gabriella tosses the boxed salad and apple onto Sharpay's bed. Sharpay sharply looks up with venom in her eyes. Gabriella's first thoughts when Sharpay was a bitch to her after Troy broke up with her was relief that at least Sharpay is hanging in there. But now, she's just starting to think that her bitchy side isn't effected with how things are. She's just always gonna be like that, it's all whether or not Gabriella can accept that.

"Eat. You need food," Gabriella instructs in a strict tone.

"Not hungry," Sharpay snaps.

Gabriella sighs as she knows that Sharpay isn't wallowing properly. If anything, she should be throwing herself into cookies, ice cream, and bad movies. Something she learned from Jason. She shouldn't be cutting herself off from her friends and drama meetings; especially when she's supposed to run those.

"Listen." Gabriella walks into the room further. She's done trying to avoid Sharpay because she feels guilty. "I know what you're going through. I might not have been put into this weird funk because of a boyfriend breaking up with me, but I have been through heart ache, and it hurts."

Gabriella looks up hesitantly to see if Sharpay is still throwing daggers at her through her eyes, but she almost gasps in surprise as she sees that the gray in her eyes is slowly flickering away. Very, VERY, slowly.

"You're lying," She snaps and all of a sudden the color in her eyes are being drained again. "You think I don't remember how you were after Jason broke things off with you, but I do. I'm not some dumb blonde everyone thinks I am."

Gabriella throws her hands up in surrender. "Whoa…down girl. That was completely different. We both weren't into each other, and things just fell apart all of a sudden. It didn't take gradual time. But that's not the point."

Their eyes are trained on each other.

"Look, I know because I couldn't even bring myself to come back to school last year," Gabriella admites, "I missed out on two and a half months because I was afraid to face our classmates. And even though we don't get along, I don't want you to feel that either." Gabriella pauses to see if Sharpay's going to say anything, but she doesn't as her eyes fall away from Gabriella in defeat and are looking at the ripped up pictures.

"Eat. Go to class. Go to drama meetings. But don't stay cooped up here letting yourself deteriorate. Ripping the pictures might feel good right now, but in the long run it won't help you anymore."

"You're point Montez?" Sharpay hisses.

Gabriella shakes her head a little while backing up to the door. "Don't shut people out."

* * *

"So how messed up am I?" Troy asks in a mono tone voice.

Miss. Patrick smiles sadly at him while looking him over closely. "Maybe you're not so much as 'messed up' as you call it, but you just need more of a push in the right direction?"

Troy nods; that at least sounded better than what he was expecting. "Right. So, give me my push. I need to move forward and stop making all these mistakes, and you can push me in the right direction."

"I wish it were that simple."

Troy frowns at hearing this. "What are you talking about? Just a tiny nudge, and I'm good."

Miss. Patrick sighs, "Troy…as I have told you earlier, I'm not allowed to tell you what Gabriella has said, or not said about you. I listen to relationship problems, but I do not tell you how to control your relationship. It's all about taking responsibility of your actions."

Troy scratches the back of his neck as he bites his bottom lip. "How do I take responsibility for my actions? I already broke up with Sharpay for crying out loud! What more can I do?"

"What's the one thing in life, right now, that you want the most Troy?"

Troy knows what he should say, "To pass my classes…go to college…win basketball games…get a job."

"You want all that right now?" Miss. Patrick asks incredulously.

Troy smiles sheepishly. "I want her."

Miss. Patrick smiles approvingly at his honest answer. "Then take responsibility."

* * *

It's 5:25 on the dot, and Kelsi is nowhere to be seen in the girls' lobby. There are other various girls either doing homework, watching reruns of One Tree Hill, or eating their dinner while doing various other things, but no Kelsi in sight.

"You look lost Cross," a voice rings out and Jason rolls his eyes before turning around and plastering on a smile.

"Hey Faith. Long time no see, yeah?" he asks the petite blonde in front of him who is also known for being on the cheer squad.

She giggles, and it's like nails on a chalk board. If there was a female Kent Hanson, then she would be him, except the only thing different is that he's nice, and she's not, unless you're close to her or the opposite sex.

"I would have to say. The last time I talked to you was over Christmas Break last year. A long time. A very, VERY, long time." Her voice drops into what most guys would call a seductive tone, except he is blocking it out very well. It doesn't take much effort. He's into brunettes anyways.

"Yup. Well," the grin on his face appears as Kelsi walks into the lobby with a smile on her face. "I got to go. Late for dinner."

He walks away without even glancing back at her pouting face. She's one girl that he can do without, plus he doesn't feel bad since within the next five minutes he knows Faith will move on from him and onto the next guy that comes her way.

"Hey." They share a moment together as their eyes connect. It's time to slip away from thinking about music, schoolwork, filming, basketball, and soccer. It's time to slip into a world where they can relax.

It's Kelsi this time to take it into her own direction to press a kiss not on Jason's cheek, but to the side of his mouth. After the kiss they shared on Friday, which seems longer than both of them presumed it would, it only seems fair that she should kiss him there instead of the cheek.

"Ready to go?" Jason asks as he offers her his hand. They share a smile before starting to walk out of the building. "So…where too?"

"Um…" Kelsi looks around and although they have restaurants a couple of streets down in the downtown part of their city, and they even have their own restaurant on campus that mostly serves really greasy and unhealthy foods, Kelsi smiles. "How about good o' McDonalds?"

Jason rolls his eyes. Although he is a secret fan of their BigMac, he does not want to take Kelsi there on account of if the guys did find out, then they would make a bigger deal out of it than anyone else. Plus it's like their second date, and even though he didn't plan it out exactly, he was interested to see what she would pick out. Wondering if she was this unknown stuck up girl wanting expensive foods that you can't pronounce, or an even more laid back kind of girl.

"Come on…be creative. Anywhere else," Jason tempts.

"I don't want you to have to spend your money on me, and I really want some French fries. McDonalds, please?"

Jason rolls his eyes jokingly. "As long as word doesn't get out that I took you here for our second date."

"Is that some guy thing? Making fun of each other because they spend their money on something cheap compared to like a seven course dinner?"

"Can't answer that. Guy code." He winks at her from the side and Kelsi suppresses a giggle. "But there is something I can do."

"Oh yeah?" They stop walking as they turn to each other.

"Yeah…" he looks down at her and presses his lips gently down onto hers. "I've been wanting that all weekend. And now my chin doesn't even hurt when we do it."

Kelsi giggles, "That's good to know."

* * *

Usually when it's Monday, Ryan and Zeke set plans to meet near the library so they can 'study' when in reality they both know now that they'll end up in Zeke's room to play some form of electronic game. But along with the events that happened Thursday night, it's just different.

Words weren't said between the two, but yet there's still this weird vibe as they both know what happened. It feels like just because they didn't confront each other, they still have this thing in between them when in reality nothing's there. Unless of course you count that Ryan is Sharpay's twin brother and recently Zeke and Sharpay have found some sort of understanding between each other.

But here they sit in the library, near the front so they have an unspoken reason as to why they can't talk to each other. It is only when the clock strikes 7:30 that Ryan is given an opportunity to talk to Zeke as his sister who is surprisingly out of her room and in the library with Emma that he sees Zeke's eyes trailing after her.

Ryan sighs, "You know they broke up, right?"

Zeke looks at Ryan quickly; trying to play it off coolly. "I don't know who you're talking about."

Ryan sighs again and rolls his eyes. "I KNOW you do, and she's taking it pretty hard. I think this is the first time in a while that she's been out of her room."

Zeke nods his head while looking down at the notebook in front of him. He already has Taylor on the mind as she's suppose to be coming to his room around 8:30, and he doesn't need to be thinking about anyone else, that is until he has this whole weird phase over with. "Do you know what? I'm done studying. It's time to work our thumbs at some play station."

All of a sudden the weird tension between them is gone. They can sweep it underneath them, and pretend it never happened, and as they're pretending, they can keep themselves occupied with play station guns and tiny army games.

* * *

Troy is staring. There's no way around it. His eyes are running over her upper body that isn't blocked out by the table that is separating them. Even though she's just wearing a dark blue t-shirt that hugs her body, he still is mesmerized by what is underneath as he had seen her running the previous day in the morning with Chad.

He notices the way that you can hardly see the bruise anymore as it's a sickly pale yellow and light green, but then again you probably can't see it because she put on a light coat of make up compared to the darkness that is around his eye that is slowly healing.

"What are you doing?" She murmurs quietly while keeping her eyes trained on the book in front of her. She doesn't look up in fear that if she does then she'll remember the words they shared on Friday afternoon.

_Taking responsibility,_ "…Nothing," he murmurs back before quickly diverting his eyes to the book in front of him. He looks up again once he knows that Gabriella is busy with reading a passage from the book.

He finally is going to be taking responsibility. He just needs to find a time to talk without chickening out.

"Hey Brie," he whispers softly.

Gabriella can't help but look up now as the tone that he used sounded completely different than what she's used to hearing. It makes her wonder, how many people get to hear the soft and caring side to Troy Bolton one-on-one?

"Yeah?"

"Everything is messed up right now. It's in a hazy period, and to tell you the truth I have no idea where and when it's gonna turn up again, but…I know one thing: you're not ready, and if you're not ready for a relationship then I'm not either. I can wait."

Gabriella goes to say something, but he beats her to it, and she's left just sitting there with her mouth partly open.

"I may not know the whole story, I may not understand, but I'm here for you. And if that's in a friend form then I'm okay with that for now. I'm trying to take responsibility, and let you know that I'm dedicated to…well…you, I guess. I'm dedicated to you, and I'm gonna show you that I'm not just wasting my time. I'm not just gonna run off next week with someone else who I don't love. Because well…I love you."

In the whole little speech he gave her, he somehow found himself looking down at his hands on the table instead of looking into Gabriella's chocolate eyes.

Gabriella exhales finally, and tries to form words. "Troy I…that was…wow." She sighs tiredly and runs a hand through her hair. "I'm gonna be honest. It's things like you saying you love me that scares me. It truly petrifies me, and…," she lets a small smile overcome her face. "all-in-all though, that was a pretty awesome statement, friend."

Troy looks up smiling. "Note to self: don't say I love you."

Gabriella holds back a chuckle at how cute he can sound at times. "Friends normally don't say that to each other."

"You and Jason do," he points out in a teasing manner.

Gabriella rolls her eyes as she holds back the amazement at how things can change with just a couple of sentences. "That's SO different, and you know it. We've been friends a lot longer than you and me."

Troy shrugs, "I have all the time in the world for you Brie." It's the seriousness in his voice that adds to Gabriella's fears.

* * *

"I didn't know if we were still studying or…not," Chad says as he sits down opposite of Taylor in the corner of the library.

Taylor highlights something. "Yup."

Chad sighs while putting his book bag down. "Have you talked to Zeke yet?"

Taylor looks up sharply. "How do you even know that I'm gonna talk to him? The last I heard from you is that I can't have it both ways, and since I'm still with Zeke, I don't think you want anything to do with me."

Chad sighs noisily and that earns them glares from students around them. "Tay, it's been days. I'm tired of avoiding you and Zeke."

"Since when did you care about Zeke?"

"Since before he started dating you," Chad snaps back before continuing in a less forceful tone. "I need to know what you're deciding to do."

"Why?" Taylor whispers.

"Because I deserve to know."

It's silent as Taylor occupies herself by tapping the highlighter on her book quietly. She hasn't told anyone about her and Chad, figuring it's safer not to just incase word leaks out, but she has come to a conclusion. A conclusion that will separate herself from what her mom did and still does with the gardener they see once every summer.

"Zeke deserves someone better. I'm talking to him after our study session."

Chad can't believe that she hasn't added anything else to her confession.

"And?" He asks with eagerness.

"And I think I'm gonna swear off guys for a while. Just take some time off from the whole dating thing. Clear my head."

Chad grinds his teeth. "You're fucking serious?" He asks with astonishment. "After everything we've been through? After three years of waiting?"

Taylor nods her head and sighs, "Yeah. Chad, you don't get it. I still love him. I might not be IN love with him, but I love him, and he's always gonna be in my heart, but…I just need time."

Chad rolls his eyes in frustration. "I guess you can go break up with him sooner then because I'm done here. Done with studying. Done with being friends. Done with waiting."

He storms off as Taylor is left with about thirty pairs of eyes on her. She sees Gabriella and Troy questioning her silently from the other side of the room, but she makes no movement.

* * *

**Author's Note--So I don't know what came over me, but I have another chapter out. I think it might be because I'm excited to get on with the sequel already, and to start writing it because I have so many ideas that is going to bring even the most unlikely people together.**

**So...there's actually a clue in this chapter about one problem that's gonna come up in the sequel. It's one sentence that seems perfectly harmless, and it's said by the most unlikely person, but it's a major line without being majorly obvious, and it's gonna stir up some trouble later on. Anyone catch it?**

**Review please and thank you. And I want to say thank you to all my reviewers. It's great knowing that so many of you want me to make a sequel.**


	28. The Pretender

_What if I say I'm not like the others?  
__What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?  
__You're the pretender.  
__What if I say I will never surrender?  
_The Pretender--Foo Fighters

* * *

"I think we should break up," Taylor says in a hurry of words. It had taken her twenty minutes to compose herself in the library, start highlighting words again to make it seem like to people that when Chad stormed off it didn't effect her, and then she had to convince herself on the walk over to Zeke's room that she is doing the right thing.

Zeke stays frozen on the bed as Taylor stands before him. He numbly flicks off the TV that is on mute at the moment, and just gawks at her. He knows that his relationship with Taylor started going down hill after declaring that he loves her, but she returned that love, didn't she?

Zeke's only able to splutter a few words, "I thought, um…" he clears his throat, "I thought you love me?"

Taylor bites her bottom lip in nervousness. "I love you, you know that," She reasons as she knows now that love isn't enough to get her through a relationship. "You'll always have a spot in my heart."

"Yeah," Zeke says sarcastically. "And you'll always have a spot in mine."

Taylor's momentarily stung at his words. "You have to know that I never meant for it to end like this. I would do anything to take it back," she lies so well through her teeth that it scares her. She's just like her mother.

Zeke shakes his head in disbelief. "Why? I know we're not spending that much time together, but why? I thought we were good together."

They both know that's a lie also.

Taylor tries to smile a little to lighten the mood, but she can't. "We both know that's a lie. We started falling apart long before this. It just happened Zeke. Chad and Sharpay just came around at the wrong time."

Zeke goes to say something, but freezes. "Who said anything about Chad and Sharpay?"

Taylor can hear the darkness in his voice. She knows now that she just made a huge mistake. She wasn't going to tell Zeke about her and Chad. He deserves better than hearing that. "N--nothing, just…you've bee spending time with her, and I've been spending time with Chad…studying."

Zeke rolls his eyes while standing up. His blood is starting to boil as even though Taylor and him weren't joined at the hip, he can still tell whenever she's lying, and sometimes that is hard to do, but he can still do it better than anyone.

He can see the hurt in her eyes. He can see regret. He can see guilt. He can see it all and it's finally starting to come together. The weird moods Chad and her have been in. One day they're avoiding each other, the next they're all laughing and talking. He knows Chad has had a thing for Taylor. He's not as naïve as some people make him out to be when it comes to those two. He just didn't think Taylor would go behind his back.

This makes his blood boil even more, to a point where he can't help but yell. She's standing in front of him trying to beat around the bush that she must've done something with Chad.

"This is fucked up Taylor. Don't fucking lie to me!"

Taylor doesn't notice the tears leaking down her cheeks. Emotions are flashing across his face, but the one that stands out the most to her: hurt.

"I'm sorry," she sobs. "Chad and I--" There's no point in hiding it anymore.

"Chad and you can go to hell," Zeke snarls.

Taylor knows that Zeke knows, and it amazes her that she didn't even have to say it out loud. In ways it made it that much harder, and easier.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Do you love him too? Is that the game you're playing? Trying to break two hearts?" Zeke asks with a strong demand.

Taylor tries to stop the tears from falling down her dark covered cheeks. "No!" She shrieks in horror that he could even think like that, but then again she hasn't given him reason not too. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask the God from above to mess up our lives like this!"

It's silent as all you can hear is their ragged breathing. Zeke's the first one to break the silence, "I think you should leave."

Taylor opens her mouth to say something, but closes it as she sees the anger in his eyes. She nods her head in agreement before going to speak one last time that night.

"I think I should too."

* * *

Jason hears his alarm clock go off, but slams his hand down on it. A smile graces his slumbered face as he remembers his previous night with Kelsi. He rolls over and swings his legs out to the side, and that's when he notices it.

Ryan's gone again.

This is becoming a very usual thing. Ryan's always gone before Jason gets up now. They hadn't exactly talked in the last four days, and Jason has no idea what Ryan's feeling since the last he heard, Ryan only wants to punch him in the face, but that was from Thursday. Jason doesn't even know if Ryan and Kelsi are talking again. He chickens out every time he wants to ask Kelsi that question.

* * *

Gabriella doesn't wake up from her alarm. She doesn't wake up from talking. She doesn't even wake up from her phone.

She hears this clicking sound and it's annoying the heck out of her. She lets her first instincts take over and groans into her pillow while knowing that either way, she has to get up anyways.

She turns over onto her back and sits up. She squints her eyes to adjust to the very bright light that is coming through and groans again.

She can't believe the sight in front of her. Sharpay is already up, showered, dressed, and is now applying make up in what seems like forever.

"You're up already?" Gabriella asks incredulously.

Sharpay's eyes narrow in the mirror. "Just because I might be following your advice, doesn't mean that we're buddy-buddy now. Got it?"

Gabriella rolls her eyes while standing up to stretch. "Whatever," she grunts.

"Someone's not a morning person," Sharpay comments with slight amusement in her voice.

Gabriella glares at her, "Coming from the girl who just declared we're not 'buddy-buddy' now."

Sharpay flips her hair out and stands up as she's already to go while Gabriella still has to get ready. "Whatever. Maybe you'd be a happier person if you would learn not to scream in your sleep."

Gabriella throws her pillow at the bedroom door after Sharpay closes it behind herself. "And the real Sharpay comes back to life," she comments dryly.

* * *

Gabriella can feel the sweat dripping down her back, arms, and forehead as panting girls can be heard all around the roofed off stadium.

"We had a record of 10-5 last year when we should've been undefeated," The coach declares. "We went into the tournament ranked number four out of eight schools, and we lost the very first game. We are NOT going to let that happen again ladies."

Gabriella looks around her and notices that at least half the team from the previous year has gone off to college or decided not to play that year.

"We are the only sports team that did not walk away from the tournaments with a trophy. Even the ping pong players won a bronze medal for crying out loud! So if that means that we have to schedule another scrimmage against a different school out of our division, then so be it!"

Gabriella's heart rate is slowing down a little at hearing this. A game she can handle.

"The bus ride is in two weekends on the ninth at 4 in the morning." A lot of groans are heard throughout the tired girls. The coach just rolls his eyes. "It's a four hour bus ride, we get there at 8, have a half an hour to warm up, and we're ready to play."

He looks at every girl in the eye, and Gabriella swears he stares at her the longest as he says three words, "We're gonna win." He looks away with a blow of the whistle. "Team dismissed!"

Kelsi groans from besides Gabriella. "He couldn't have found a closer team to play?"

Gabriella laughs a little as they set off to where their duffel bags are on the side of the field. "Kels, there's not a lot of Academies around here, and the seven closest ones that are, are already in our division. Thus leaves up a four hour bus trip."

"Why aren't you upset? If out of anyone, you're the one who's not a morning person. Everyone knows that." Kelsi points out in a 'duh' tone.

Gabriella rolls her eyes as they see Jason starting to come down from the bleachers with his backpack. "Because I'm excited for the game. I haven't played one in a while."

"You played against the guys' team."

"That SO does not count," Gabriella insists as she can feel the excitement in her veins.

"Hey," Jason greets while meeting them. Gabriella watches as he brings Kelsi into a small hug due to the duffel bag that is covering Kelsi's whole left side.

"You want to come study with us?" Kelsi asks as Gabriella's the only one to notice the slight disappointment on Jason's face who quickly covers it up.

Gabriella smirks and kinks an eye brow. "Studying? _Right_," Kelsi and Jason can both hear the sarcasm in her voice as Kelsi blushes a little. Something catches Gabriella's eyes and a small smile comes onto her face, "Actually, I um…have plans."

Jason narrows his eyes on her suspiciously. Last he heard, Troy and Gabriella are just friends for now. "Whatever Montez. Go do what you do."

Gabriella just laughs, "I will."

She walks away as she knows if she didn't see Troy standing by the doors leading into the inside gym that she still wouldn't have gone with Jason and Kelsi. She knew of that look on Jason's face. A look that says that he just wants to spend time with one person, and that person now just happens to be one of her good friends.

"You know, standing in the doorway like this is kind of creepy," Gabriella jokes.

Troy lets out a huff of air, "I wouldn't just be standing here if someone didn't take their time on things."

Gabriella smiles once she sees Troy break out into a smile. "No really, what are you doing here?"

Troy shrugs, "I was thinking since we have this new friendship thing discovered and talked about, that we can celebrate? How about going to the Foreign Language building to see one of the cheesy movies they play every night?"

* * *

Sharpay waltzes into her room dramatically as she catches the eyes of Gabriella Montez. Gabriella wants to say something. She wants to ask how Sharpay is doing, but decides against it. She isn't going to ruin the perky mood Sharpay seems to be in.

Gabriella goes back to straightening her hair, and smiles as it's complete. She pulls on a tight fitting American Eagle sweat shirt that still shows off how little she is, and glances over her shoulder to see that Sharpay has stopped going through the fall script and is looking at her.

"What?" Gabriella asks finally.

"I didn't say anything," Sharpay retorts.

Gabriella can't help but notice that Sharpay is looking at her sweat shirt.

"Is there something on my top, or something?" Gabriella asks.

"Like I just said, I didn't say anything."

Gabriella sighs while glancing at the clock. She turns back around to get her matching green bag, and sees that Sharpay is glancing at her again. She makes a quick decision and clears her throat awkwardly. "You know…you can borrow this if you want?"

Sharpay sticks her nose in the air, and straightens out her posture. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

Gabriella holds back her retort as there's a knocking on her door and she panics. If Sharpay sees Troy picking her up to go see a harmless movie that their Headmaster wants playing every night to try to keep kids occupied from seven to nine at night, then Sharpay could possible go into her weird funk again.

Gabriella rushes to the door, and hesitates to open it.

"What are you waiting for?" Sharpay snaps. "Open it before they knock again. I don't need a head ache before my rehearsal."

Gabriella doesn't look back as she only opens the door so her body can slide out of the room, and then closes it instantly.

Sharpay's eyes go wide as she swears she caught a glimpse of Troy's caramel colored hair and tan skin. Her mouth parts, and she's taking deep intakes of air. She didn't want to believe the rumors around school that started over the weekend that now Gabriella was going to make a move on Troy Bolton, but here she is, sitting on her bed watching her roommate walk away with her ex-boyfriend.

Even though her and Gabriella have never been the best of friends, or friends at all, she never thought Gabriella would already go after Troy.

* * *

"I thought we were going to meet out here?" Gabriella asks while controlling her panic. Did Sharpay see? If she did, there's nothing to worry about because they're just friends. Nothing more…for now.

Troy shrugs; clearly not seeing anything wrong with picking her up at her room which is only five feet away from the original meeting point. "What's the big deal? I only had to take three steps."

Gabriella rolls her eyes as they walk outside. "The big deal is…is…Sharpay could've seen."

"Did she?" Troy challenges.

Gabriella looks down at the ground in defeat. "I don't know."

Troy chuckles good heartedly. "Well then you need to forget about it because I don't want to watch a movie with a sulking _friend_."

* * *

Sharpay slams the door shut behind herself and storms into the building. How could Gabriella do that to her?! Go out with her ex-boyfriend! Sharpay thought maybe they could be friends…that's a HUGE maybe, but it was quite possible with all the hints Gabriella was leaving around, and now that Troy is out of her life, they wouldn't have anything to fight over.

First, Gabriella says she's not interested in Troy. She practically spelt it out for Sharpay, but yet everyone can tell that Troy and Gabriella are good for each other. Second, Gabriella brings her lunch. No one has brought Sharpay lunch without being ordered too, and then out of the blue Gabriella came barging into their room with lunch. Third, Gabriella has not called her Evans in a while now. They have been on tight first name bases, and granted it wasn't easy, and is still not, but Sharpay is adjusting her life to call Gabriella by her first name.

Now, even though those reasons are self centered around Sharpay, she still believed that they could've been at least borrowing clothes friendly. They could've been in the room without glaring friends. They could've been maybe even partners on a project friends. They wouldn't actually be friends though, but they could be a getting-to-be friend. But not anymore. Sharpay is too mad to even think about getting to know Gabriella anymore.

She let her guard down. She was actually willing to try to get to know another person outside her circle of friends, but not anymore.

She doesn't even notice that she's entering the cooking room, and there's another person there already.

She takes in his broad shoulders. His muscular frame. The way his wrist flips the frying pan. The way his biceps bulge out with every grip he frames around the metal.

"Sharpay?" Zeke asks in surprise as she walks over to the counter top and sits down on one of the many bar stools.

"What?" She asks in a mono tone voice. She's done being used. Used by Troy. And used by Gabriella who just thinks she can give Sharpay 'great advice' and then go behind her back and date Troy.

"Are you…okay?"

Sharpay rolls her eyes, "I could ask you the same thing."

"Then why don't you?" He snaps and then looks at her apologetically. "Sorry…just had a rough day."

Sharpay stops herself from saying something she actually might regret. All plans of bringing up the fact that Zeke is jealous of Chad are blown out the window now that the cat's out of the bag.

"…Yeah," She says awkwardly, "I heard about that."

"Who hasn't? It's fucked up that news spreads so fast around here. Who even gets the gossip before the actual event is over?"

Sharpay shrugs her shoulders. "Probably some fucked up people."

Zeke finds this ironic since he knows that Sharpay is one of the biggest gossip queens. "Is that including yourself in that?"

Their eyes lock and he leans in some. "I didn't specify, did I?"

Zeke smirks, but doesn't respond. "So…what brings you here in my kitchen?"

Sharpay's eyes go lighter and lighter until they're practically glowing gray. "I hate break ups. They always put a damper on my day," she scoffs.

Zeke tries to smile apologetically, but he can't. He can't even disagree with her because he knows that she's telling the truth. "I know how you feel."

They were moving in gradually as the conversation happened and now find themselves practically inches away. "You're eyes are really different in color," he comments about the gray.

Sharpay shrugs it off as if it's normal. "They get like that from time to time." He goes to speak, but she puts a finger to his mouth to silence him. "Are you gonna kiss me soon?"

He nods his head numbly before she takes her finger back and their lips gravitate towards each other. Each needing comfort to cover the hurt.

As their lips touch it's like time has stopped. His hand slowly comes up to her head, and interlocks with the waves of blonde strands. Her teeth slowly tug at his bottom lip before their tongues meet for the first time. Nothing can ruin the moment until Sharpay abruptly pulls back.

"I can't," And for what seems like the hundredth time that week, she feels tears prick her eyes. She steps away from him. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Zeke doesn't realize how hard it is for Sharpay to stand there in front of him, and admit that she is doing something wrong.

"What?" He hisses. "Are you fucking serious?! Do I like have a sticker on my back that says I should just get screwed over by you girls?!"

"I know what it's like to be used, and I'm not going to give you false hope. And this is coming from me, but no one deserves that." She looks him dead in the eye. "Goodbye Zeke."

* * *

Ryan had been avoiding it really. He had done everything he could to avoid Kelsi and the inevitable conversation after the fight on Thursday. It wasn't really hard to do the first two days since Kelsi kept her distance, but then since Sunday it seems to him that she had been trying to talk to him.

But here he is; waiting for Emma to sit by him in the auditorium for their drama meeting to start, but instead of the blonde sitting down next to him, Kelsi does.

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, and is now wishing that instead of choosing to sit in a seat that is on the end of a row with no other options for someone else to come and sit next to him, but that he sat in a different seat where he is closer to Ms. Darbus and has more options as to a oppose of getting cornered by one person.

"Hey," Kelsi whispers as if it's the most common thing to say.

Ryan looks at her strangely, but sees that she's busy rifling through her bag next to their feet for something, so he looks straight forward again.

"…Hey."

Kelsi's head bobs up and she lays her music folder on her lap. "Did we start yet?"

Ryan knows that she's making light conversation, but something's bugging him. "What are you doing Kelsi? Aren't you mad at me? Because I know that I'd be pissed off if you attacked my girlfriend."

Kelsi sighs as she rubs her temples. She's acting like this is the biggest problem in the world right now. "I was hoping we could avoid this talk, and just be friends again."

"I think it's too late for that," Ryan sees Kelsi's face go into shock and worry, and he realizes what he just said. "Too late for avoiding, not the friends part. That's what I meant, I swear. We HAVE to talk now," he declares and sees Kelsi's face go into relief.

"Good," she breathes out. "I was about to freak out." She looks at him, and then realizes that he actually did ask her a question before, and now it's time for the truth to come out. "No."

"No?" He asks with confusion. "No, you don't want to talk, or no you don't want to be friends?"

"How about, no I'm not mad at you?"

"What?"

Kelsi sighs again, "If I can forgive Jason, then I can certainly forgive you. You guys just kind of scared me. I had no idea that I could make you guys fight like that, and then I heard from Gabi that after I ran off, things got even worst?"

"Yeah, things got--"

Ryan stops momentarily as he sees the average height, petite girl walk down the aisle. He bites his bottom lip as he realizes that Kelsi is in the spot that he is supposed to save for her.

"Ry?" Kelsi questions, but gets no response as Emma comes and stands next to Ryan.

She looks clearly confused, and Ryan sinks lower in his seat. How can he tell Kelsi to move when they just got onto good terms again?

"Um…I'm sorry for interrupting," Emma says slowly; everything's processing in her mind, and then she finally realizes that Ryan and Kelsi have probably just made up from Thursday night. "I'll just…um…go someplace else."

"Wait!" Ryan calls out, and realizes he just did the stupidest thing, but then again he did promise Emma…

Kelsi fidgets uncomfortably in her seat. Ryan didn't say anything about saving a seat for Emma. Emma catches Kelsi's eye, and Kelsi feels a little guilty for intruding without even knowing, and the way that Emma is looking at her…she has eyes that just look so innocent and sad, no one can resist.

"Emma, I was just getting up. You can sit down," Kelsi offers while gathering her things quickly.

"No. It's okay. I can always go sit next to Shar. She's probably wondering where I am," she makes an excuse.

"Shar isn't here. I promised you I'd save you a seat, and I stay true to my word," Ryan insists as he motions to the now empty seat next to him.

Emma slowly slides in past him as neither one notices the skeptical look on Kelsi's face as she walks away.

* * *

"So um…did you hear about Tay and Zeke?" Gabriella asks as she tries to fill her head with thoughts while they're walking outside in the dark. Even though the street lights are still on, Gabriella is secretly glad that Troy is persistent and insisted on walking her back.

"Yeah…I heard Chad grumbling about it last night." Troy forces a chuckle as his hand brushes up against Gabriella's while they turn the corner on the path. He pulls his hand back slightly, and if Gabriella felt anything then she didn't say. "So…I heard about the soccer scrimmage scheduled for two weeks from now."

Gabriella chuckles too as her nerves tingle in her stomach. "Yeah…I can't believe that we were the only team last year that didn't place. We had two girls out on injuries, and then I never even showed up! I should've come back after hearing about the first loss of the season."

Troy can hear Gabriella scolding herself through her words, and shrugs as if that will comfort her without having to personally touch her.

"Don't sweat it. I hear the ping-pong team only won because the opposing team had to forfeit because of food poisoning."

Gabriella giggles at this and it puts a smile on Troy's face.

"So as a friend, I get to come watch you play, right?" He asks, and he swears he sees Gabriella's face pale in the light.

"No!" She shrieks with horror. "There's no way that you're going."

Troy looks hurt, "And why not?"

"Because I'll be nervous, and then with you there I'll be even more nervous." Troy smirks at her, but doesn't say anything, and Gabriella's eyes go wide. She tries to save herself, "And then Chad will want to go, and Taylor will say that she has a right because we're best friends, and Jason will come with a video camera, so it'll just make me nervous all together. With EVERYONE there."

Troy nods, but doesn't say anything as he knows that there's buses that take any students who sign up to the away sports games. But half the time students don't go to weekend games since that's basically the only time that they have to go downtown and shop since they're busy on weeknights.

They stop walking as they stand on the stoop of the steps. They look around awkwardly and Gabriella thanks God that Sharpay isn't out in the lobby.

"So…" Gabriella draws out, and Troy decides to make the first move.

He holds open his arms for a hug, and Gabriella hesitates at first, but then eases into it. He wraps his arms around her in a protective way, and just basks in her presence. If only he knows that she is feeling the same way, but doing a whole lot better job at self preservation.

"You think you won the argument of me coming to see you play soccer? I have my ways Brie," he whispers in her ear.

"You wish."

Troy smirks while reluctantly pulling back. "I have a plan: never surrender, and eventually I'll be bound to win."


	29. Run To You

_Turn look, look out and see.  
Do you see me? Cause I think I see you.  
I've been some other place.  
The wind that I chase, it all just leads back to you.  
Oh how I'm still, so still it's sobering, but still I ran.  
_Run To You--The Rocket Summer

* * *

"This is the second day in a row that you have been up and ready before me," Gabriella groans into her pillow while rolling over and sitting up.

Sharpay rolls her eyes, but grabs her purse in response. She isn't going to let Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton effect her anymore, and if that meant ignoring them completely, then she will do it.

Gabriella's eye follow the pink blob around their room as she collects her things, and even though Gabriella didn't expect a nice reply to her question, she still thought based on the previous day, that Sharpay would at least acknowledge her.

"Is everything okay Sharpay?" Gabriella asks softly.

The daggers thrown by Sharpay almost blinded Gabriella. It is like a fire erupted in the blondes eyes. "Don't talk to me Montez." Sharpay heads for the door, but right before she fully steps out of the room, she turns back to Gabriella, "And it's Evans to you."

* * *

The air is silent around the six teens. Kelsi looks around at all five boys, and notices for once in what seems like forever Jason and Ryan were actually not glaring at each other; but ignoring one another as the glaring seemed to be passed down to Zeke and Chad.

Kelsi feels Jason's rough finger tips stroke hers under the table as she has her left hand resting on top of her thigh. She shares a smile with him before looking up and seeing that Troy is still sitting in between Chad and Zeke.

"So…we have a soccer scrimmage coming up in a week and a half."

"Are you excited?" Jason asks as Ryan bites his tongue from saying she's nervous. He knows her like his favorite dance number, and even though Kelsi won't admit it right now in front of everyone else, she's nervous.

"Um…not quite."

"Since there's no basketball that Saturday morning, are we all gonna catch the early bus ride?" Troy asks even though he knows that he is going no matter what.

"That's a given," Jason says automatically, and then realizes how strong he's coming on, and clears his throat, "Um…you know, yeah. I was thinking about it."

Ryan and Jason's eyes meet over the table, and although no words are exchanged, Ryan is the first to break the stare as his face doesn't change from the content look it has.

"Is Tay going?" Chad can't help but ask as he knows deep down that if she's going, which makes sense since her best friend is the captain, then he will probably go too.

Zeke doesn't say anything as he silently picks up his tray and leaves the table; soon followed by leaving the Dining Hall.

"That's my cue," Jason excuses himself, but not before lightly brushing his lips against Kelsi's cheek. Ryan turns his head as if he found something more interesting over by the Dining Hall workers.

"Em and I were probably gonna go into town that Saturday," he catches Kelsi's eye. "You know, because it'll probably be the only last good Saturday that we can make it together."

"Em?" Kelsi questions.

Ryan shrugs casually, "You know? Emma? It's a nickname…just like we call you Kels?"

Kelsi nods her head a little too quickly to make it seem like she fully feels comfortable. "Right. I TOTALLY understand. Excuse me, I just have…to leave."

After Kelsi retreats from the Dining Hall, Ryan looks at Chad and Troy who are the only two left. "She does understand, right?"

The two boys look at each other before shrugging at Ryan. "Have NO idea man."

"NOT a clue."

* * *

Gabriella groggily makes her way up the stairs while balancing her backpack on her shoulder, carrying two small boxes of cereal, two bowls, spoons, and two small cartons of milk.

She rolls her eyes as she tries to hold it all in one hand while knocking on her best friend's door, but she can't, so she does the next best thing. She kicks the door, and hears nothing.

"Come on Tay! Open the door. I have breakfast," Gabriella says in a singing tone.

Gabriella can hear footsteps now, and manages to put on a small smile. Taylor finally opens the door, and looks at Gabriella with her own small smile.

"Well this seems to be reversed," she comments with slight amusement.

Gabriella rolls her eyes and thrusts the milk and bowls into Taylor's hands while walking into her room without permission. "Make fun all you want, but we already know that I'm not a morning person."

"Well then what are you doing here?" Taylor asks even though it's quite obvious.

"You have to eat breakfast, and if you don't want to face Chad and Zeke in the Dining Hall then someone has to take care of you. Even if that means that I have to get up earlier than usual."

Taylor sighs while taking a seat cross legged on the edge of her bed; opposite of Gabriella who's already made her spot at the head of the bed and is pouring the cereal.

"Thank you."

The two girls get their breakfasts put together, and start eating in a silence. Gabriella knows all about Taylor's relationship with Chad and Zeke as they put away some time aside from sports, schoolwork, other people to just hang out on Saturday night as it seemed like half the school was gone on the Spanish fieldtrip.

"You know Tay, you can't stay in here forever."

Taylor continues to eat her cereal nonchalantly; although on the inside, her mind is going crazy about what she should and could do about the whole Chad situation.

"…I know," she admits.

Gabriella sighs while putting her empty bowl down. "The gang was all getting breakfast--everyone but Sharpay," Gabriella adds before Taylor cuts in.

"That's kind of weird."

Gabriella looks at her confused. "How is that weird? Sharpay never eats with us."

"No, it's weird that you just mentioned the Ice Princess as a part of our group."

Gabriella's face shows confusion as her mind replays what she just said, and even though a part of her finds it odd that she did just mention Sharpay like she is a part of their group, she doesn't show it as she's there to talk to Taylor about the triangle she worked her way into, not about Sharpay.

Gabriella's small shoulders go up and down in a shrug, "It doesn't matter. What DOES matter however, is that Chad told Troy who told me that you are going to swear off guys?"

Taylor rolls her eyes. Of course, leave it to Chad to tell his best friend who had this HUGE crush on her best friend, to tell Gabriella everything so that Taylor has no way of getting out of being cornered about it!

"Maybe you being friends with Troy is a bad idea?" Taylor mutters before sighing heavily and looking up at her friend; knowing she isn't going to get around this. "Well let's go over the facts, shall we? 1) I screwed Zeke over. I cheated on him, but yet I still love him? How the hell does that work? 2) You saw Chad in the library Monday night. He's really upset at me. 3) I have no idea what I'm gonna do. I can't face either one of them."

Gabriella senses Taylor's distress over the whole situation. "Okay, let's just take this one step at a time. You still love Zeke?"

Taylor looks up sheepishly, "Maybe love is a stronger word than what I'm feeling, but…I still care for him, enough that I can't just jump into something right away."

"Okay, now number two. Chad's upset? Why does that--" Gabriella stops mid sentence and excitement fills her eyes. She knows that Taylor has to have some physical attraction to him since she did sleep with him, but this is different. She cares about his feelings after three years of her denying that Chad liked her more than a friend. "You like him!"

"Yes," Taylor doesn't even bother hesitating. "So that's where number one and number two of my problems collide. I am forced to avoid Chad because I don't want to parade around school with him as my new boyfriend, and rub it in Zeke's face."

"Who said you have to parade around school with him? Can't it just be normal that a person who gets out of a relationship, hangs out with another person, presumably of the opposite sex, alone?"

Taylor looks at her with a deadpanned face. "Gabi, that may work for you since you're the person who doesn't have to deal with their ex, and how they feel about things, but I'm the one who broke up with him. We play two different people in the situation you just spoke of."

A silence is taking over as both girls forget about Taylor's third problem, and stay concentrated on the topic at hand.

"But if you break up with someone, then you're done. No strings left. You shouldn't have to worry about them," Gabriella states in a haze.

"You do remember Jason and last year, right? I know that last year was fucked up, but you do remember how you were after the break up, don't you?"

Gabriella picks at the comforter she's sitting on. "…Yeah. I guess."

"It's not easy moving on from someone sometimes. Even if you're the one who breaks up with them."

Gabriella's eyes go wide as she stares down at the blanket. The moods Sharpay has been in. First she was sad and bawling her eyes out, then after Gabriella talked to her she was getting into the swing of things again, next she actually was talking to her--maybe not in the best tone, but she was still talking to her the previous day--, and now Sharpay is blocking her out. Sharpay's blocking her out after there was a chance that she might've seen Troy picking her up for the movie. It all makes sense now.

"You're right Tay. You're absolutely right." Gabriella leaps off the bed in a hurry. She has just enough time to stop over at the drama building before heading over to her own class. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later, and don't forget to sort things out with Chad," Gabriella calls over her shoulder to a disturbed looking Taylor.

Taylor sits on her bed and watches her bedroom door close. She finds Gabriella leaving her very strange.

* * *

Gabriella had never been backstage before. She's seen the school's musicals that they produce, but she's never actually been backstage before, and since Sharpay wasn't in her drama classroom, the only other room Gabriella could think of was her dressing room.

Gabriella looks down the narrow hallway and spots the closest door that has Sharpay's name all over it; figuratively speaking. It's bright, hot pink; unlike the other doors.

Gabriella knocks on the door, and waits for an answer.

"Emma, I really don't want to talk and listen to you gush about my brother!" Sharpay's voice echoes through, and if Gabriella isn't so set on talking to her, she would've stopped and processed that Emma had taken more than a liking to Ryan.

Gabriella opens the door. "Good, because I don't want to talk about your brother either."

Sharpay spins around, and if looks could kill, Gabriella would've been dead the moment she shut the door behind herself.

"What the hell are you doing on my turf Montez?" Sharpay hisses venomously.

Gabriella doesn't back down, and looks Sharpay in the eye. "I'm not after Troy, Sharpay."

Sharpay doesn't bat an eye lash; although she is very surprised that Gabriella has come there to her dressing room to tell her that. Some people would consider that suicide.

"I never said you were," Sharpay counters back.

"You didn't need too. It's written all over your face, and actions, and words. But you don't need to worry. I'm not after Troy." She says with a bit more reluctance.

Sharpay lets out a small laugh to lighten the conversation for her own benefit. "Oh Montez, you make me laugh. I'm not worried. I never was."

Gabriella bites her tongue. Her mind is telling her to just cut the crap with Sharpay and go back to how things were before: fighting and making snide comments to each other whenever they had the chance. But her better judgment and heart are telling her to try to forfeit and become no so much as friends, but mere acquaintances instead of enemies. Now that she's seen that Sharpay is just as much human as anyone else, she can put aside her own conflicts with the blonde and try to make nice.

"Whatever Sharpay. I just wanted to let you know…just in case you thought that." Gabriella looks around casually, and smiles as her back is turned towards the confused blonde. This dressing room really did reflect Sharpay in all her pink and glittery glory. "You know…I'm not that big of a bitch that you make me out to be." Gabriella turns back to the blonde now after seeing how much make up she does keep in her dressing room. "I didn't have some plot behind your back to get Troy to break up with you."

Sharpay sees the sincerity in her eyes, but she doesn't want to believe it because if she does, then that's three years that she's been wrong.

"Like I said before, I never told you that you were after Troy."

Gabriella bites her tongue in annoyance, and shakes her head a little before heading towards the door. "Whatever Sharpay. Believe what you want, but if you were to believe anything, then at least try to believe me."

Right before Gabriella can twist the doorknob to leave, Sharpay shuts her eyes and mentally puts down a barrier. "Gabriella…"

"Hmm?" Gabriella keeps her back to the blonde as she waits anxiously for whatever's to come.

"…If he were to ask you out…what would you say?" Her voice is soft, quiet, and so much different than her powerful and demanding tone that Gabriella wouldn't even recognize that it came from Sharpay's mouth if they weren't the only two in the room.

Gabriella blinks back the perfect picture of Troy in her head. She blinks back the knowledge that he's already confessed his love to her. She blinks back the feeling of getting butterflies in her stomach whenever she's around Troy now…as a _friend_.

"He wouldn't ask."

"If he did?"

"I'm not looking for love." _I'm not looking for love because that someone who we're talking about already loves me._

* * *

Taylor looks around the quad and knows that he's supposed to be around someplace seeing as he should be heading over to the baseball stadium for two hours.

She doesn't think about it as her legs lunge forward to catch up with the afro clad boy that's about thirty feet away, and walking at a casual pace.

"Hey," Taylor greets while falling into step with him.

Chad looks at her, and keeps his excitement at a certain level that she can't even tell that he's happy. "…hey."

Taylor looks Chad over. He's wearing his white practice baseball pants, practice dark red jersey, his hair is tied back, and capped off with a red baseball hat.

"So you have baseball practice." It's a statement as she knows that he does.

Chad nods his head slowly, "…Yeah. Then it's straight to basketball practice."

"Oh." Taylor's tone dropped in disappointment.

"You sound upset," he says casually while looking forward in a cool manner.

"No…why would I be upset? It's not like I was planning anything…or something," she stammers.

Chad holds in his smile at how cute she's sounding. "Tay, I might've been upset with you on Monday night, but that doesn't mean that I still don't know when you're upset. Now tell me what's up."

Taylor sighs. "I was just wondering if you wanted to talk after practice? But since you have double practices then I'll just forget about it."

"Why?"

"Well because you probably have homework and need to sleep, and need to eat no doubt," Taylor lists off answers as if she's just counting her fingers.

"That's all true, but…" Chad's taking a risk; going off gut's instincts. "I might need help on homework. And what better help could I get if not from our grade's smartest girl?"

Taylor feels her stomach tighten at the little appreciative comment he's made.

"Okay. Yeah, I can help you. But don't think that you have to ask me for help because you feel sorry for me. It's not like I don't have other things to do besides talk and help you tonight. I could be practicing tennis if I really wanted too."

Chad passes her a sideways smile, "Truth is…I missed talking to you."

* * *

Gabriella walks out of the guidance counselors office with surprisingly a small smile. They went through the same procedure as last time. They talked about her school life, friends, her mom, and her dreams. Gabriella doesn't know what's different, but the smile could have something to do with the blued eyed boy waiting in the lounge for her; reading the newspaper with a serious face on.

"Troy?" Gabriella questions in a whisper since she knows the receptionist at the desk likes to keep things quiet.

He looks up startled for a second before his mind registers that Gabriella is calling for him. He carelessly puts the newspaper down and stands up; already with her body fitting leather jacket in hand.

"Hey…here um…I found this on the coat rack." He holds out her jacket and she slips into it. He has a slight blush on his cheeks as she offers him a small smile. Friends are allowed to get each others coats.

"Thanks. Not that I don't mind you being here, but…what are you doing here?" She asks.

"I was just out running, and I got bored so I saw you come here, and I decided to just wait it out."

"You waited an hour?!" Gabriella asks incredulously as they step outside.

"Well…yeah." He's not going to mention that the other reason he was there was because he made another appointment to see Miss. Patrick later that week.

Gabriella debates whether to say something, but knows she has too. There's two ways she can go about it. 1) say something so bluntly that he might get offended, or 2) say something with emphasis on a word, and hopes he gets the meaning. She likes the later of the two.

"Well, thanks. That was real FRIENDLY."

Troy looks away from her as they continue walking. "Yup. Just call me Mr. Friend."

If you weren't Troy who thinks he did a good job with his cheerful tone, or Gabriella who wants to believe that Troy has gotten over her so quickly; then you can hear the longing and bitterness mixed into that one sentence.

* * *

After being shut down by Sharpay on Tuesday night, the least likely person Zeke expected to see in the cooking room after school was that very said blonde. He hasn't been able to take his mind off the kiss they shared over the counter. So when he walked into the room and saw her sitting at the counter while looking down at her nails in a fascinating way, his heart sped up.

He clears his throat to let her know that he's in there, and her head shoots up so quickly that he's surprised that she doesn't have whiplash.

"What are you doing here?" He asks and then realizes those might not be the best of words, but he's hurt by Taylor and now Sharpay, and he's done with the rejections.

Sharpay's eyes narrow. "What's with the tone?"

"I don't know? Maybe it's the fact that you're here after what happened yesterday night."

Sharpay pinches the bridge of her nose and looks away from him. Sharpay has never really had to hold in her emotions before, but there's something about Zeke that looks all too good and innocent, and that's keeping her from snapping back.

"I seriously thought that we could move on from that. I guess not," she looks up at him, "Maybe I should just go."

Zeke takes half a second to contemplate the situation. "No!" He says quickly before clearing his throat. "I um… mean…stay. This just isn't my kitchen, and obviously something is on your mind."

"Not something. More like someone."

"I have time before basketball."

* * *

Gabriella wasn't planning this. She wasn't drawing up blueprints on how to approach this minor problem. She isn't even certain that this conversation has to happen, but yet she still feels entitled to have it or else it might become awkward in the future.

"Hey Zeke. Don't you have basketball to get to?" Gabriella asks as she walks over to him.

He looks around and his eyes stay on the drama building a little longer than necessary. "…Yeah. I'm just waiting for someone."

Gabriella nods her head right as a certain drama obsessed blonde walks out of the building. Sharpay looks up and suppresses the surprise she feels at seeing Gabriella and Zeke standing next to each other. Instead of budding her way into their weird looking conversation, she stays on the top of the five steps and waits; even though she can hear their conversation perfectly from her spot still.

Gabriella doesn't say anything as she chooses to ignore Sharpay, and instead continues talking to Zeke.

"You know…just because you and Tay broke up…" she sees that he tenses up just at the mention of Taylor's name., "um…doesn't mean that we still can't be friends, right? Because we were friends a long time before you two dated, and I just don't want our whole group of friends to get messed up because of this."

Zeke contains his snort of laughter, "If you haven't noticed, by now almost everything is messed up between all of us."

Gabriella looks down. "I wouldn't say everyone, but…I just wanted to let you know that I still count you as my friend. My friendship with you shouldn't be effected just because Taylor messed up."

"I understand…and…and I know where you're coming from. It's good to kind of talk about this."

Gabriella smiles brightly now as the worst part is over. "Good. Great even, and I'm glad we got this over with. You're a good guy Zeke, and you're still one of my good friends."

"Ditto, but right now I'm gonna be late for basketball, so--"

"Oh! Yeah. Okay. I'll just let you go then." Gabriella starts walking away, and calls over her shoulder, "Bye you guys!" Plural. She at least acknowledged Sharpay's presence.

Sharpay now takes this as her time to approach Zeke as she clutches her pink purse closer to herself. "She's just all about friendship today." Sharpay says it in neither a nice or mean tone.

Zeke looks at her confused for a moment. "What?"

Sharpay plays it off casually. "Nothing, just…she came by my dressing room today and we had a talk about…Troy."

"And?" Zeke presses as they start walking on the path that leads to the girls' dorm and then from there Zeke will walk to the basketball courts.

"And," Sharpay blows out a breath of air. "And she says that she's not after Troy now, but…I have this _feeling_."

Zeke shrugs, "If Gabi says she's not, then I'd trust her. I mean, what does she get out of it if she lies to you?"

"Troy," Sharpay whispers.

Zeke looks at her carefully, "You told me earlier that you are over him. Why does it matter if Gabriella does happen to date him?"

"Correction: I said I am GETTING over him. And it matters because she's my roommate and that also means that she will have lied to me."

"And you've never lied to her before?"

Sharpay lets out a huff. "Well maybe I just don't want them to date."

Zeke holds up two hands in a surrendering position. "Whoa…I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just saying that eventually Troy's gonna date again. You're eventually gonna date too, and Troy's not gonna interfere in your business."

"Thanks Dr. Phil. I didn't ask for your opinion. Don't you have basketball or something now?" Sharpay snaps.

Zeke sighs, "Yeah. Well…just give Gabi a chance. She's not one for lying."

"I'll get right on that," Sharpay says sarcastically. As Zeke turns around Sharpay glances over at the far away soccer field that had various color blobs playing a pick-up game.

Maybe Zeke's idea isn't so bad? But what do they have in common? It's not like Gabriella and her can be best friends and bond over boyfriends. That would be just too weird.

* * *

**Author's Note--So I know that this chapter has quite a lot of Sharpay in it, and not a lot of Jelsi, or Troyella, but there's only like maybe one-three chapters left of this story, and then I start the sequel, and I need certain characters to be at a certain point. And this was the only way I could think of.**

**So on to other things. I was thinking the other day about the funerals of Gabriella's family members, and how in Junior year everyone was already with different people, and some were even in fully fledged relationships before the school year started. I'm also regretting not starting from Junior year as I am thinking of flashbacks, and I'm like saying to myself, "Why didn't I do this?" or "I wish I could write this in." But I can't since it wouldn't fit at all with these new relationships forming. But there is something I can do about the funerals chapter that I have written since probably before this story even started. I have no way of fitting it in through flashbacks since it's too long and I don't want to cut anything out, and I don't feel like chopping it up and giving it to you guys bit by bit in different chapters, so I was considering putting it as it's own chapter in this story?**

**I want to know what you guys think of it. If I do it, I can guarantee you that there's hardly any Troyella in it considering it's taking place right after Troy and her got into the fight, and there's quite a lot of Jason considering it takes place after their break up and a two month avoidence period. But it also lets you in on how some of the parents are too, so what do you think? You interested in me posting it within this story as it's own chapter?**


	30. Beautiful Disaster

**Author's Note--So this is the funeral scene that a lot of my readers wanted to see. And instead of doing a one shot and filling out a summary, I just decided to do a nice author's note. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and I'm getting really excited about the sequel and events that are to come. Maybe even more excited than what I was when I thought of this story back in May?**

**Now even though this is all a memory/flashback/past event...whatever the heck you want to call it; I'm not putting everything into italicized font. For me as an author, reader, and a person, it's just too hard to read. At least that's my personal thoughts since this chapter is almost double than what I usually write; it hurts my eyes. So remember, this isn't in the present. It takes place March, in their Junior year.**

* * *

_She loves her momma's lemonade  
Hates the sounds that goodbyes make  
She prays one day she'll find someone to need her  
She swears there's no difference between the lies and compliments  
It's all the same if everybody leaves her_  
Beautiful Disaster--Jon Mclaughlin

* * *

**March 23  
Spring Break  
Junior Year**

Usually during spring break kids go wild. They have underage parties. They go visit family and have a sit down meal filled with laughter, and story time. For Easter they have ham, potatoes, homemade foods, and desserts.

No one knew that out of the nine group of friends only Ryan, Sharpay, Kelsi, Chad, and Gabriella would be the only ones who could catch a flight home.

Sharpay had her own jet come and pick her up at the closest airline. She was spending her Spring Break down in Mexico. She had tried to get Troy to come with her, but he very quickly decided that he was going home to spend the short holiday with his family seeing as he would hardly see them over the summer.

Kelsi flew back home to Albuquerque New Mexico. She brought Ryan with her to meet her family for the first time seeing as she got to animatedly meet his family over the four day weekend during Thanksgiving Break back in November, and this meet was long over due.

Chad had caught a very early flight at five in the morning back to San Francisco, California. His home town since forever, as Gabriella's mom had moved in the same neighborhood after her divorce was finalized five years ago.

And then of course Gabriella had left the day before to her father's house in Maine.

The others were regretfully stuck at school. It's not because they missed their flights, or weren't planning on going home. It was because for some odd reason some of them were going to odd places where an unexpected snow storm hit, or tornadoes were forming.

Jason was meant to go someplace in Alaska for Spring Break. This was the one vacation Jason wasn't looking forward too, and was probably one of the happiest kids at the school as there were quite a few kids stranded there until their flights happen. Of course, there's always a teacher at school just incase one student doesn't go home, but usually everyone leaves because they're too bored of the place.

Taylor and Zeke are meant to fly out to Zeke's second house down in Florida, but their flight got canceled due to a really bad tornado watch. Anyone could tell Taylor's the most crestfallen girl in the room since this was the one time that she'd get to meet Zeke's parents without her parents around, and the other reason being she was the only girl in the room.

Troy pressed the X button on the remote control to the play station, and watched as his car sped past Jason's. He laughed a little while maintaining concentration with a smile. He actually didn't mind that he's not leaving the dorms. He was supposed to go to Montana to visit his grandparents since his parents bailed on him after he turned down Sharpay's offer, and so he's left to go visit his grandparents ranch. But for some unknown reason his flight was canceled, and now he has to take the next flight which is in a day and a half, and also has a lay over in Minnesota.

"I wish I could watch the news," Taylor groaned from Zeke's side as they sat cuddled together on Chad's bed.

It's only the four of them in Troy's and Chad's room, and it's past curfew, and getting to be around 2 o'clock in the morning.

"Relax," Jason called out as Troy's too busy trying to maneuver his car around his again. "You have the computer. Just look it up on Yahoo or something."

Taylor rolled her eyes, but nonetheless continued watching the weather updates online as Zeke was busy trying to keep his eyes open while rubbing her arm soothingly.

A ringing went off, and Jason groaned while pausing the game.

"What the fuck?!" Troy exclaimed, and then grumbled, "Just when I'm about to win."

Jason rolled his eyes while he stood up and narrowed his eyes on Troy. "Don't unpause it. I'll be right back." He walked over to where his cell phone was on the bedside table and furrowed his brow as he saw that it was a call from Chad.

Jason flipped open his cell phone with the flick of his wrist. "Miss me already?," he teased. "Do you realize how late it is here?"

"It's only 11p.m. here man, but," Jason didn't sense the fright in Chad's voice, "please tell me you saw the news, or are at least watching it now?"

Jason rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we're stuck here. Big deal. You don't have to rub it in." He was about to call out to Troy to tell him to stop playing the game and cheating until he gets back. "I got to go."

"No," Chad interjected before Jason even thought about hanging up. "It's Gabi. I tried calling the others, but their phones must be off. She's in trouble. It's all over the news. It's bad," Chad's voice was cracking, and Jason's face paled.

Taylor looked up from the computer and nudged Zeke awake. They both looked at him as Troy was too busy winning the game and starting a new one.

"How…how bad?" Jason croaked.

"Just turn on the news Jase…" There was a woman's voice in the background as Jason recognized her to be Chad's mom. It sounded as if she was crying. "I have to go. Watch it." Chad finished hurriedly.

"Turn on the news," Jason instructed as he quickly put his cell phone in his back pocket.

"What?" Troy snapped. "Use the computer. I can pretty much guarantee you however that the weather didn't change."

Taylor was good at sensing mood changes, and hastily took the remote from her boyfriend who was moving slower than normal due to the fact that he just woke up, and changed it on Troy who sat back sullenly.

It was all within three seconds that those four people nearly went into shock. Troy dropped the controller, Jason stumbled back slightly and numbly sat on the edge of Chad's bed, Taylor held in her cries, and Zeke bit his bottom lip to keep from stuttering pointless questions that no one would have the answers to yet.

"Jesus Christ…" Jason breathed out.

There on the screen was the footage of their very good friend. You could see the dried blood. You could see the jerky movements she made. You could see the fright, sadness, and hurt in her eyes, and there was nothing anyone could do.

"What the fuck?" Zeke asked.

Troy didn't have to say anything as he already knew what happened. And he didn't stop it.

"What are you doing?" Taylor's tone came out harsher than intended as she snapped her eyes away from the TV where pictures of Nikki and Kyle were being showed before this whole event happened.

Jason started frantically going through his contacts to try to find one of the three airports he had in his phone. "I'm going to Gabi."

Zeke and Troy ripped their eyes away from the TV; not being able to watch it anymore even though that story was going to be played a lot in the next couple of days.

"You can't just fly to Maine! Think about it," Taylor hissed as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"Why not?" Jason continued to scroll through his phone.

Taylor stood up while trying her best to keep it together. "Because where are you gonna stay Jase?! There's no house left to go to! It's crime scene for crying out loud, and you can't just show up and expect Gabriella to take you in when she's probably…probably," she couldn't even finish her sentence as Zeke hopped up and wrapped his arms around her.

Jason stood up abruptly and kicked the corner of the bed. How could he have let this get so bad? Part of it's his fault, and that part of him is telling him how much he fucked up their relationship.

"What am I supposed to do Tay!? Huh?!" Jason yelled at her. "We don't even know if she's okay! What the hell was that on the TV, huh?!"

"Cool it man," Troy interjected as he stood up and lightly pushed Jason back to the other side of the room, and away from the now sobbing Taylor in Zeke's arms.

Jason glared at Troy. This was the first time that Troy had ever seen him this mad. Troy slowly lowered Jason's phone out of his hand. "You need to think rationally about this. We ALL need to think clearly on this. We can't just barge into her dad's town and expect that when her mom gets there she'll take us in. We need to book a motel room or something. We need to call OUR families, and explain what is happening. We can't just show up unprepared because Brie does not need that."

Jason ripped his body away from Troy's and crashed on his bed in a huff. Jason took time to think about what Troy was saying. He's right. He can't just barge into Gabriella's life again; especially after two months of avoiding her after their break up.

"Okay. So we start with calling our families first," Jason agreed while reaching for his cell phone again.

* * *

Sharpay was in the gorgeous hotel room that had an ocean view along with a wide view of everyone on the beach. She smiled as she came in from standing on her balcony in just her white bikini.

She went to go flick off the TV that had some boring news story playing, but froze once she saw a very familiar picture. A picture of a girl and boy who couldn't be more than twelve years old. A picture of them holding a soccer ball by a goal post, and it looked very familiar.

It wasn't until she turned up the volume on her TV that she heard the woman announce the names of the two kids who apparently were attacked in their father's home that Sharpay remembered where she had seen this picture before. It's the picture Gabriella had tacked up on her bulletin board above the desk.

Sharpay dropped the remote in shock, and stood there frozen.

She didn't feel like tanning anymore.

* * *

Preparations were made. Calls were sent out. Newspapers printed articles ranging from Gabriella's story that she never officially gave out, to the background of the crazy Mr. Johnson. Funerals were planned. People flew in. Flowers were designated. Memorial services were arranged. Doctors appointments were scheduled.

The only thing Gabriella didn't plan on was the fact that half her class would show up to the three funerals held near her dad's house in Maine.

Her mother figured it would be the easiest thing. Anna had never really planned on where to bury her children at such a young age of 12 years old, but she imaged that they would want to stay with their father, who had already previously after the divorce planned on being buried in the cemetery down the street from his house.

Anna flew out the night she heard about the attack. She didn't have a chance to see the news. She didn't see Gabriella's weak body collapse on live television. But she didn't miss the encore in the hospital where she was being treated for her cuts, bruises, and injuries.

The Doctors had told Anna that Gabriella was very lucky to survive such an attack, and that maybe she was just the tad bit luckier that Mr. Johnson didn't want to hurt her. But that was bull shit she told the Doctors. If he didn't want to hurt Gabriella than he would have never killed her family.

Gabriella ended up leaving the hospital the next afternoon. She had a small bandage on her forehead from the collision with Mr. Johnson's head, multiple bruises that didn't look like they would be going away for a while, and two broken ribs from being dragged down the stairs.

They couldn't stay at the house since the police were still collecting evidence, but after a couple more days they could situate themselves back into the house if they wanted too. Anna spent most of her time trying to keep herself together. She made the calls personally as she thought that Gabriella was asleep in their hotel room. She even arranged her husbands funeral saying that was what her younger children would want to happen. They would want to stay close. She tried to talk to Gabriella, but Gabriella made no move to talk back.

She was withdrawn. In shock some would say. And it didn't help Gabriella that her friends were calling three to eight times a day, or at least that is what Gabriella thought at the time.

Gabriella sat through all the meetings. Biting her cheeks to keep from crying out when she knew people recognized her. People looked at her when she walked in the streets; as if recognizing her as the girl who killed her brother sister, and father. All because she didn't listen to Troy Bolton. But no one else knew that part. Not even her mother. Gabriella didn't want her mother to find out that she was tipped off the night before that Mr. Johnson might be some kind of stalker because then what else would her mother think of her? The worse kind of murderer? Gabriella couldn't bare that anymore than if she left her mother's side at all that long, dreadful week.

The services were held outside. No matter what the weather Carlos always wanted to have his funeral outside, and that's what his ex-wife gave him. They ended on okay terms. They weren't ready to slit each other's throats when they got a divorce, but they both had separate dreams, and fell more in love with their work than they did with each other. She wasn't going to deny her first love the funeral he deserved with his two children; even if that meant that Gabriella and her had to suffer in sadness, depression, and grief.

The deceases' family were sat in the front. Gabriella was like a stoned statue. If she moved she was afraid she'd break down. That was something that couldn't happen until she was alone; after the services, after the burials, after people came back to her father's old house for food and then leave; then she could break down, when she was sure that her mother was ear shots away.

She saw her friends as she walked out from the black limos. She saw them all dressed in black. Ryan was on the verge of tears while holding a sobbing Kelsi. Zeke was trying to comfort a sobbing Taylor who met Gabriella's father and siblings various times. Chad, who stood next to his mother respectively as she cried on his shoulder, and his father was greeting people, and helping them to sit down. Troy, was busy whispering to his mother and father, and momentarily stopped speaking as their eyes landed on each other. And then there was Jason…a guy who Gabriella hadn't talked to since mid-January. Why the hell was he there?

She sat down just as the music was finishing and the minister appeared. The rest was all a blur to Gabriella as the caskets were slowly lowered down into the holes. The sobs of her mother was enough to make tears leak down her own cheeks.

Gabriella flinched as a hand was laid on her shoulder. She had one aunt and she was from her mother's side. She had no cousins, and only her grandma was left from her father's side. No one from her family could've possible laid a hand on the back of her shoulder.

She turned her head slightly and saw that the hand none other belonged to Jack Bolton, a very high powered business man, who Gabriella had only met twice for dinner, and the rest on Parent's weekends throughout the various school years.

She had parted lips; drawing in light intakes of air as he looked at her through sad eyes. Her mother made friends with Troy's parents sophomore year when they met during second semester. That had to have been one of the weirdest dinners ever considering both her parents were there visiting her during Parents' Week, and the Boltons didn't know that they were divorced. But yet, they all went out to eat anyways.

"I'm sorry Gabriella," he whispered.

Gabriella's glossed over eyes looked at Lucille, and then Troy, but eventually she tore her eyes away from the disheveled looking boy who looked angrier at her than he did a week ago when he tried to warn her, and settled her brown orbs back to Jack.

Of course Troy wasn't looking at her; it hurt him too much. Too much than what he wanted to admit, and he was in no way mad at her. He was mad at himself.

He was very surprised that his parents came home early from their Europe trip and flew him out to Maine right away. His mother insisted to Anna that she help with the food ordering, and she had no trouble convincing her since both Anna and Gabriella were too tired and hurt to argue.

It was sad that it took three peoples' deaths to bring all of the gangs families together for just one day.

* * *

"Has anyone talked to her yet?" Kelsi asked in a very even, deeper, and darker voice. A voice that no one would know came from her if she wasn't sitting in front of them at the wooden table set up in the backyard of Carlos' old house now. She sounded so sad; exactly how everyone else sounded.

Various tables were set up in the backyard as the sun was beating down in the late afternoon. Pretty soon it would be sunset, and no one in the house would be outside to appreciate it. The yard was an open yard, and two goal posts were set up since Carlos was into soccer; along with his kids.

Although there were various tables outside, almost all the adults situated themselves inside Carlos' large house, or they had another flight to catch to take them back from where they came from. This left the perfect opportunity for Chad, Zeke, Taylor, Ryan, Kelsi, Troy, and Jason to just sit outside in a little bit more privacy than everyone else.

Everyone's heads picked up from where they were looking before, and they all looked at each other with dread filling their eyes.

"She walked past me and my parents, but…she just…and the funerals…" Chad's voice trailed off.

"I tried, but I ended up getting cornered by some of the cheerleaders," Jason admitted in a small voice.

"Are you really in the position to complain now Jason? You haven't spoken to her in TWO months," Taylor exclaimed.

"I may not be on speaking terms with her, but I still care," Jason said through barred teeth. "I still care for her."

"Since when?" Taylor rolled her eyes dramatically. Everyone was far past crying, and onto different emotions. Emotions that they couldn't control.

"Since I told her that," Jason hissed lowly.

Taylor was about to retort when Kelsi cut in. "Knock it off you guys. Taylor, Jason has the right to be here just as much as you do. Gabi doesn't need this today."

"Kels, sorry to burst your bubble, but Gabs isn't even out here," Zeke pointed out quietly.

Troy pushed his chair back abruptly and stormed inside. What did it matter if Gabriella was outside or not to hear their friends fighting?

Everyone looked at each other as an eerie silence took hold of them.

* * *

Everything looked the same. The same carpet. The same walls. The same door. The same everything. At least that is what Troy thought as Gabriella only described what her father's house looked like in art class as they both had to draw their home in very little detail.

There was no police tape. There was no blood. There was no evidence that a murder happened in that room.

"It's fucked up, isn't it?" His best friend's voice floated through the room.

Troy heard the door close, and the lights turn on.

He felt his friend's presence as they stood side-by-side. "This is where her dad was…um…you know," Chad mumbled.

Troy was clueless. His parents were somewhat close to Gabriella's mom due to they met various times at school, but they were always traveling so they didn't have a lot of time for their friends, so Troy needed answers. The only fault to that was that the one person who lived through the tragic event, is the one person who he got into a fight with before it happened.

The one person who might have a chance of knowing anything is ironically Chad. Due to the fact that when Gabriella stayed with her mom, they were practically next door neighbors, so their families were close.

"I used to watch them play in the front yard."

Troy looked at his friend as he spoke; as if he was making a confession.

"Granted, I never met her dad, but I did see pictures around their house. But I used to watch Kyle and Nikki play in the front yard. They were a soccer family. All three kids are...were into soccer. So over the summer they would need me to play to make it boys against girls." Chad took a staggered breath while Troy saw tears form in the corners. "The girls would kick our asses so bad that Kyle and I would have to give up before being even more humiliated." Chad looked at Troy quickly, "Don't get me wrong, Kyle was great at soccer too. Maybe I just anchored him down a bit?"

Troy saw Chad's eyes glaze over some more, but nothing fell. An awkward silence overtook the two; a silence that rarely happened between them.

"I knew," Troy whispered.

"What?" Chad asked as if he were deaf.

Troy looked away from Chad in shame and stared at the bed that had new sheets.

"I knew about Mr. Johnson. Deep down I knew, and I thought I could take care of it after Spring Break. I thought I could swoop in and take away every problem for her, but…let's just say that your Captain made a mistake."

Chad stared at Troy; long and hard. His best friend knew about Mr. Johnson, and as far as Chad knew, Troy did nothing. He didn't know that he tried to warn Gabriella. He didn't know that Troy had been trying to tell her the past month. He didn't know anything that Troy hadn't just told him in that room.

But yet he couldn't be mad at him. He just felt confused, and hurt.

"Come on. We shouldn't be in here," Chad said as if Troy didn't say anything at all.

* * *

Gabriella felt people around her. She felt their stares. She felt their eyes judging her. She could almost feel their thoughts surrounding her; _she's the girl that killed her family_.

She blinked distantly as she stared at the stairs that she was dragged down one week prior. She folded her arms over her sore chest, and lightly gripped her upper arms as if in a shield form.

The black dress that she was wearing covered almost all of her black bruises on her upper body; the exception of her forearms where hand imprints were, and wrists that were red and purple with nail indents. Her legs held slight small cuts and scratches from being thrown around, but the only other evidence that something happened to her was all in her eyes. She was desolate, wounded, enraged, but she for some unknown reason had no idea how to show what she was feeling.

She shut her eyes while blocking out images of cries, blood, rope, her brother, sister, father…the list could go on and on. She walked slightly closer to the stairs and took a seat with her back to the wall on the third step. She drew her knees to her chest, and enclosed her arms around them to keep her dress from flowing outwards.

Her breathing was ragged as she didn't even process that she was silently crying while no one could see her since her mother made sure that not one of their guests would come to that side of the house.

Gabriella had so many people go up to her and offer their condolences, but did they even mean it? How could they if she was the one to blame? No matter how many times the doctors, police officers, and her own mother told her that it wasn't her fault, Gabriella could only nod as she convinced herself that it was indeed her fault.

"Gabi?" A hoarse voice took her out of her self-destruction and she opened her eyes to see Chad and Troy slowly walking down the long stairs.

Her eyes went wide as she knew that her mother told her deliberately that no one was allowed to go up there. But there Chad and Troy were, walking down the stairs.

She scrambled up in a hurry and backed away from them.

"Gabi?" Chad asked again.

"What are you…and you…and upstairs?" Gabriella stuttered with unmistakable hurt in her voice.

Gabriella's eyes scanned over the two boys, and for a moment she stared into Troy's blue eyes again; just like at the funeral when she turned around. It was too soon for her to admit that he was right, so she looked at Chad instead.

They slowly came to a stop in front of her at the bottom of the steps.

"We were only--" Chad began.

"I can't hear this," Gabriella cut him off in a frenzy. She wiped viciously at the tears falling down her cheeks, and rushed off without a second look.

* * *

"Where are the girls?" Chad asked as Troy and him walked out onto the patio in the back again, and saw only Ryan, Jason, and Zeke sitting down.

Zeke looked at the two dejected boys who just merely shrugged, and sighed. "They went to go find Gabs."

Troy and Chad shared a quick look before setting the lemonades they carried out from inside in front of their friends. "Here. Drink this. Ms. M makes the best homemade lemonade," Chad encouraged.

"I don't think I'm going back to school you guys," Jason said out of the blue. The four guys sitting around him looked at him as if he was crazy. "I mean, for like the first week back. I think I'll just stay around here, and wait things out with Gabi."

The four friends all shared a look that went unnoticed by Jason who was to busy staring in front of himself. Zeke took this as his cue to speak, "Jase…you haven't spoken to her in two months."

Ryan sensed Jason was about to retort to what Zeke just said, and cut in; wanting to keep peace between themselves without starting up more drama that could be avoided. "Jason, we all know that you still care, but maybe staying here isn't the best idea right now?"

"You guys don't get it!" Jason said exasperated with the whole situation. "I told her that we could still be friends. I promised her that, and I fucked that up! Now's my time to make it up to her."

"You still love her," Chad stated with awe stuck in his tone.

Troy's head snapped up at Chad's statement as the four boys looked at Jason through wide eyes.

Jason didn't deny it. He didn't agree with it. He didn't say anything as he pushed away from the table and stormed inside.

* * *

Gabriella slowly unpinned her hair and let the waves of brown curls tumble down her back. She looked deeply into the mirror as she heard cars in the background starting up and leaving. People were starting to clear out, and she managed to very clearly avoid people; especially her friends who were only going to offer their sorrows and tell her how much this wasn't her fault, when Gabriella knew that they were wrong. This was her fault.

She flinched as she heard a creak on the steps, but she didn't move from her room that just happened to be connected to Nikki's room through a bathroom. This was the closest she's been to Kyle's and her father's room in the last week.

She tore her eyes away from the mirror and her distant body, and looked at her bedroom door that was open only a crack. Her body stiffened as footsteps could be heard, and within a minute Jason appeared.

He slowly pushed open her bedroom door, and came into view. He didn't need her to tell him that she was scared. He knew already, and maybe that's what made him even more upset--the Gabriella he knew never got scared.

Somewhere along the line as his parents cornered him and told him that they were going back to the hotel, and gave him the option of either coming with, or staying behind to stay with Gabriella a little longer, he knew that Gabriella needed to know that he still loves her.

After the break up he still loved her, and although that love gradually fell apart over the past two months, he still loved her as a friend. He loved her as someone who he wanted in his life. They were connected on some level that some people don't understand, but he ruined that in mid-January, and now he was going to fix it.

"Hey," he said lamely, and blood shot eyes connected with blood shot eyes.

Gabriella was done with games. She's done being played with. She's confused, and she's not going to act like everything's okay. "What are you doing here Jason?"

He scratched the back of his neck and sighed, "Honestly?"

Gabriella's eyes hardened over. "No, I want you to lie to me," she said sarcastically.

Jason looked at her guiltily, "I deserved that," he mumbled.

Gabriella held back the tears. She was done crying; at least for now. She promised herself that she would no longer cry over Jason, and so far the plan was working.

"It's been two months, and you haven't said one word to me. Two months of awkward avoiding. Two months, and now you're here to tell me how fucked up this is?!" Gabriella's voice raised with each word she spoke.

"No!" Jason said hurriedly. "No, no, no. I wouldn't do something like that."

"Then what are you doing here?!" She snapped harshly.

He saw her staring at school; he returned the stares. He heard her talking about him; he talked about her. He knew he screwed up; she knew he screwed up. He used to love her like he needed her to be in his life; now he loves her because he wants too as a friend. Two months of separation does things to the mind.

The connection was still there, and right then Jason was going on gut instincts.

"I still love you."

The four words were left lingering in the air as Gabriella's whole body felt like it was stabbed repeatedly with a very, VERY sharp knife.

"…No," Gabriella whispered to more so convince herself than him. "No, you can't. No one can. Don't you see how fucked up this is Jason?!"

He took a step closer to her; a step closer than what she's let anyone take near her.

"Is that what you think?!" He demanded. "That no one loves you? That your mother won't stand by your side anymore? That your friends, who by the way are downstairs, won't accept you? Is that what you think?"

Gabriella avoided his eye contact, and looked down at the ground. Tears were threatening to spill as he hit the head of the nail with the hammer.

"I'd like for you to leave. Please?" Her request was measly; he wasn't going to give up that easily.

He knew what he had to do. "I LOVE you Gabriella Montez. No matter what. No matter if we're best friends…used-to-be lovers…classmates…whatever the hell we are, I'll still love you. It's a natural emotion to feel. You have to feel something, anything Gabi," he pleaded.

Gabriella choked back a sob, and forced herself to look up with an unreadable pain on her face. "GET OUT! The only emotion I'm feeling right now is hate towards you."

"Gabi, I LOVE YOU!" He declared with a step closer towards her again. He was floating on thin ice, very thin ice.

Gabriella felt like she was going crazy. "SHUT UP!"

He took another step, "AND YOU LOVE ME, JUST ADMIT IT!"

Something in her broke. The very last straw broke in her body, and she nearly collapsed if it wasn't for Jason's awaiting arms to catch her, and hold her close.

He pulled her tighter against him, and mumbled into her soft curls, "I love you, and I promise I'll always be here for you. I'll be here to help you, anything you need, and consider it done."

* * *

The food was being put away by the hired staff. The guests were clearing out; offering their last condolences to a very cried out Anna Montez. The parents to the seven kids left to catch a plane ride home, or for the hotel--giving their kids one last option of staying in Maine for the remainder of the three day vacation, or going with them--the kids decided to stay.

Anna Montez walked into the living room where the seven kids were; knowing that even though she didn't know some of them personally on a one-on-one conversation level, she's seen pictures of everyone, and knew them through Gabriella's stories.

"You kids are welcomed to stay here the night. Carlos didn't have many guest rooms, but the couches fold out, and--" Anna got cut off by the afro clad boy who is also her neighbor back at her house.

"Thanks Ms. M, but you don't have to worry about us."

Anna managed a small smile. No matter what her mood, Chad was always able to make anyone smile with how adorable and innocent he looked with his hair--that was one of his tricks around parents; acting cute and funny.

"There's food in the fridge, cups on the counter, and," she looked around, "has anyone seen Gabriella lately?"

All seven sets of eyes looked up, and most of them looked at Jason.

However, the least likely person spoke up.

"I saw her in the backyard," Troy informed.

* * *

Gabriella was just taking in the starry sky as she was sitting next to the one of the two goalposts in her dad's backyard.

"You know," Gabriella whipped her head around to see her worn out mother approaching with what looked to be like a glass of lemonade, "I think I'm gonna have these goalposts sent back home."

Anna sat down next to her daughter and held out the glass which Gabriella took very hesitantly.

Mother and daughter looked at each other. Each with their own hurt, pain, and problems.

"Jason's mother said he's gonna be sticking around for another week." Anna watched Gabriella for a reaction; any reaction, it didn't matter. "But only if you want him too," she added hastily.

Gabriella bit her bottom lip, and turned her head away from her mother's.

"I would like that."

Anna sighed as she placed an arm around her daughter's shoulders carefully. "You know kid, as much as it hurts right now…we're gonna be okay."

"How do you know?"

"I don't," Anna sighed again, "But that's just life. I can't control what happens, you can't control what happens, but most importantly: we still have each other. We'll just take it one step at a time."


	31. In Too Deep

_The faster we're falling,  
We're stopping and stalling  
We're running in circles again  
Just as things were looking up  
You said it wasn't good enough  
But still we're trying one more time_  
In Too Deep--Sum 41

* * *

To Gabriella it seems like a schedule is taking place. A very bad routine in a schedule form is happening, and even though a part of her that's up and energetic during the day is almost at ease with this so called schedule, but the part of her that has to wake up early in the morning is not happy.

Gabriella likes sleep. She finds it healthy if she gets at least eight hours, but her roommate who is at least seeming to try to at lest keep the routine persistent is always up before seven o'clock on the dot.

It had been five days in a row that Sharpay had been making more noise than usual while getting ready, and the happy part of Gabriella is wondering if it's because for the past three years the two of them had been trying to avoid each other so much that they made themselves adjust to the idea of getting ready in the morning silently; but now Sharpay is singing and humming in the morning, and the small part of Gabriella that is unhappy and grouchy in the morning is regretting everything.

"Are you always so _upbeat_ in the morning?" Gabriella moans from under her pillow which is over her face.

Gabriella knows that whatever Zeke said to her Wednesday night the previous week must've been something worth listening too if it had this much effect on Sharpay.

"Are you always this _bitchy_ and _moany_ in the morning?" Sharpay shoots back with a triumphant smirk when all she received in a reply was another groan.

Gabriella threw the pillow off herself and got up to stretch for the day. She stops abruptly as she has her arms above her head and looks at Sharpay in confusion.

Sharpay feels eyes on her as she's just finishing up on her lip gloss and knows that there's only one other person who can be looking at her. "What?" She snaps.

"What's the smell? It smells like…chocolate?"

Sharpay points to a plain white plate with plastic over the top of it casually while turning her attention back to the mirror. "Zeke brought over cookies this morning."

"Really?" Both girls can hear the excitement in Gabriella's voice.

Sharpay rolls her eyes; acting like what she's about to say next takes a lot more effort than normal. "You can have one I guess."

Gabriella walks over to the plate which is on Sharpay's bed side table and then hesitantly looks at the blonde one more time.

"I'm not gonna change my mind," Sharpay snaps again.

Gabriella looks down while retrieving a famous Zeke Baylor's cookie. She hides a smile that floats onto her face and reaches her eyes.

This HAS to be another step to the Evans/Montez weird friend/enemy relationship.

* * *

"Dude, we're gonna be late for breakfast!" Troy calls out to his bushy haired friend in a cheerful tone.

Chad opens one eye tiredly. "What has you all _giddy?_"

Chad shuttered at the word 'giddy'.

Troy throws off his sweat soaked shirt into the corner of the room and locates his towel for the showers. "I am not _giddy_. I just don't want to miss breakfast considering I just spent the last forty-five minutes in the weight room." Troy throws his pillow at Chad as his friend decides to shut his one eye again. "I know you want to see Tay-lor," Troy sings her name.

This gets Chad's attention and he sits upright. "Man, you just ruined my perfect dream of her." Chad moans.

"I love her like a sis, and you saying that is really…something I don't want a picture of." Troy strips off his jeans and his boxers. He quickly puts his towel around his waist.

"Yeah? Well this puppy dog dance you're doing with Gabs is really annoying me too." Chad shoots back with a smirk. "Seriously dude, just kiss her!"

"I told you before; we're just…friends."

Being best friends has its perks. One of them being the need of not speaking about how frustrating it is to force a word out from one's mouth.

"Just friends huh?" Chad challenges. " 'Just friends' end up kissing after ditching art class? 'Just friends' end up drawing each other when they think no one is looking? 'Just friends'--"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Troy interrupts. "I get it. But I'm respecting her space and waiting. Unlike someone I know." Troy grumbles.

Chad glares at his best friend. "What does that mean?" There's an edge to his voice, but not a big one to consider this small conversation a fight.

"Nothing." Troy smiles innocently. "Just that you and Tay seem to be close. I believe I've walked in on you guys swapping spit a couple of times?"

Chad glowers at him, but can't help the small smile that wants to tug at the corner of his straight lips. After his talk with Taylor the week before they decided very heatedly that they can't just be friends. Taylor finally realized how ridiculous it sounded that she wanted a break from boys when she was very obviously attracted to him, and he was more than attracted to her, and since they already had sex together, why not at least start over with him and give him a chance?

Taking it slow was out of the question that night as Chad was almost a little too happy and pounced on her with kisses. All in all it finished nicely with him being pushed out of her door forcefully, her yelling things at him, but yet he managed to go back within ten seconds of her slamming the door and then agreeing to take her out to dinner after her tennis practice.

From there things just kind of took off even more. Although Taylor never answered him about whether or not if they were in a real relationship, they acted like it if they were alone or within their very good friends; excluding now Zeke, Sharpay, and anyone else who was extremely close to those two, (everyone but Troy and Gabriella).

Chad whips a pillow at Troy's head, but he dodges it and lets it hit their bedroom door. "Whatever man. Get out of here, you smell!"

Troy holds up his hands playfully while backing away. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. I just want you to know how hurt I am that you're kicking me out." Troy feigns hurt while clutching his hurt and laughs a little.

Chad rolls his eyes. Before Troy can fully close the door behind himself Chad yells, "Grow some courage and kiss her! You know you want too!"

* * *

It was inevitably for them to collide. It was just a matter of time for two people to run into each other alone. With none of their friends around finally, they had no other escape routes to follow.

Taylor looks down at her fallen bag that didn't spill over, and his backpack that must've been half open before because some of his things spilled out onto the concrete path.

"Sorry." Taylor mumbles while bending down to help him collect his things.

Zeke looks at her skeptically, and quickly snatches the papers she's about to pick up before she can even react. "…Yeah. You should be."

Taylor winces at his tone. "I deserve that."

"Whatever," Zeke says as he almost thinks that when she's agreeing with him, it's harder to be mad.

Taylor sighs quietly and crouches more to the side so she car reach an object that fell out of his backpack. She picks up the wooden spoon as she knows that it's only one out of a set of five different sizes.

She turns it over in her fingers delicately and traces the engraved word, 'Zeke'. She smiles slightly as she remembers when she gave him that set of cooking utensils. She had them all engraved with his name and he was so happy since he didn't have a set of his own at school.

A clearing of the throat brings her out of her memories. Taylor looks up startled and realizes that Zeke is already standing up fully, with his hand out expectantly.

Taylor stands up and gives him the spoon back. "Sorry. I guess I was just--"

"Remembering?" He fills in quickly, and Taylor blinks in confusion. Wasn't he just using a cool tone with her?

She shifts her weight from one foot to the next; not entirely comfortable with the conversation. "…Yeah. I was actually."

Zeke felt the shift in their conversation. He may have unintentionally shifted it from awkward to even more awkward now that they're using softer tones, but now he had no idea what to do.

"Well…I have to get going. I don't have someone to help me out with my science anymore."

Even though his tone was light, she still inwardly winced at his comment that was used so casually. She nods while watching him walk past her and towards the math building. He doesn't get twenty feet away from her as she whispers to herself, "Thank you."

She doesn't know why she's thankful, but she is. Maybe it's because he could've been a total ass to her, and she would've accepted it because that's what she deserves, but he wasn't. Maybe it's because he could be spreading horrible facts about her and how their relationship really ended, but he's not. Maybe it's because even though they broke up, he's still managing to be his nicer self.

Zeke turns around with a confused face on. "Did you say something?"

Taylor bites her lip before deciding that he deserves the truth for once. "Thank you Zeke."

He looks quizzically at her for a moment before he decides not to push it. He nods his head; not entirely convinced. "Don't mention it."

* * *

"So what was with that little plate of cookies this morning?" Sharpay asks as she's actually widening her stride to keep up with him!

Zeke shrugs, "Nothing," he answers truthfully. "Can't a friend just bring a friend cookies?"

Sharpay never gets a chance to answer as the two of them stop and awkwardly find themselves in front of Ryan and Emma who were previously laughing about something.

"Em?" Sharpay asks as she looks strangely between her brother and best friend.

"Hey Shar. Hey Zeke," Emma's small voice carries sheepishly.

Ryan and Zeke both share a nod in recognition. "Hey Sharpay." Ryan greets with a chipper tone. "You're um…outside during lunch?" His tone held confusion.

She narrows her eyes at his tone. "Yes. I am capable of going outside. What are you two doing?"

"What are you two doing?" Ryan shoots back not in the mood to be the only one getting questioned.

Sharpay narrows her eyes even more, "I have to go."

* * *

"Do you want some Advil or something?" Gabriella asks while searching through her drawers where she presumably keeps Advil against the Head Master's wishes. He had very strict policies that all pills and medicine be kept with the nurse.

"My head ache's not that bad." Troy informs her while sitting comfortably on her bed. His head ache is barely even noticeable, but he wanted back in the Dining Hall to escape and be by themselves. Using his slight head ache was the perfect opportunity to go back to her room.

Gabriella sighs while she knows that there's something fishy about his tone, but if he wants to tell her what's really up then he will. She's not gonna be that pushy about it.

She settles onto her bed cross legged; across from Troy who's leaning against the head board. "You hungry?"

* * *

Sharpay waltzes into the girls' lobby, and heads right to her room. She can't believe that her brother and best friend are acting all buddy-buddy. Sure, they used to get along pretty well when Kelsi, her, Emma, and Ryan used to be paired up in drama, but that was it. No other things going on since Ryan always was with Kelsi, and Emma was with Brad.

She likes keeping her friends life apart from her family life. That's one of the reasons why she and Ryan don't talk nearly as much as when they're at home in the summer. She likes having boundary lines that she gets to make up. She likes control, and she has nothing like that if Emma and Ryan get together. Not to mention if they even did date and then break up then it would be too awkward; even for her. And Sharpay doesn't do awkward. She always gets out of it.

She's about to open the door, when she hears two voices inside. Her insides growl ferociously, and her eyes go to that light gray.

Her hand twists on the door handle; making a silent sound, but then she freezes. She doesn't know if it's because she wants to eavesdrop, or she needs to eavesdrop. But either way, she will know one way or another if Gabriella Montez is true to her word.

Sharpay slowly takes her hand off, and leans her ear up against the door. No one is around since it is lunch time for some, and class time for the rest.

* * *

He flashes her a smile that makes girls melt. "When am I ever not?"

She giggles as she hands him a brown bag that holds a sandwich, chips, and an apple. He takes his time as she's getting out her own lunch and leaves his just sitting there untouched to really look around her side of the room.

She has the bed next to the window which is on the first floor so you can see perfectly out onto the football field that they only went to if there was a game to watch, she has her own desk with a bulletin board above it. The pictures she keeps tacked up on it pulls him in as he silently gets off the bed; startling Gabriella in the process.

He looks closer and can tell that they're magazine and book cut outs of what looks to be historical places. He sees no label on the pictures, but yet they look old, historical, and…interesting. Something Gabriella would like.

He doesn't hear her get off the bed and stand directly behind him. He doesn't notice that she's peering around his shoulder; almost touching him in the process.

"Those are the places I'm gonna visit this summer. I told you about that, right?" Gabriella knows that she told him about it since he's the only one besides her mother that knows about the trip. All her other friends know is that her father and her were planning on going, but they just assume she canceled it.

"…Yeah." Troy thinks back to the first time they were alone that school year, and although it is only a month behind them, a lot happened. For once, he's single, and now he can't get Chad's words out of his head. _Grow some courage and kiss her!_ "You're traveling Europe this summer before college."

Gabriella smiles, "You remember?" She really shouldn't be that surprised since it was only thirty days ago that she told him. But it's reassuring that he's a guy that will remember things unlike others.

"Of course I do." Troy looks closer at the pictures. There's something about this building that Troy recognizes. "Is this the Roman Colosseum?" He leans even more closer as he misses Gabriella's impressed smile.

"Yeah. I can't wait to see it. I think I'm most excited to go to Rome."

"Eternal City," Troy murmurs. He pulls back from staring, but keeps his back turned to her.

"What?"

"Some call Rome the Eternal City."

He turns around and flinches in surprise that she's right in front of him; almost leaving no breathing space between them. She raises an eye brow in question to his response of her being there, and he clears his throat; pretending that just didn't happen. But his mind is working in overdrive; it's like she's asking that he follows Chad's advice.

He glances down at her lips for only a brief second--a brief second that Gabriella didn't notice--and then back into her eyes.

Chad's words are running through his mind again, and the more Troy thinks about it, the more they seem to be making sense. He has never had any trouble when it came to girls. Granted, he was with Sharpay most of the time, but in middle school before he moved away from his family, he had no trouble. Although being in middle school, the biggest problem anyone had was if they were kissing right.

He is leaning in unconsciously. Gabriella's eyes go wide in anticipation as to what looks like to be happening. She should be backing up. She should be freaking out about trusting people. She should be stopping this, but for that second in time, she doesn't want too. Not just yet.

She leans up and connects their lips. No more giving false hope. No more hiding from the feelings that Troy evoked in her. He has proven that the past is the past, and that's all Gabriella needs. To leave everything behind, and maybe Troy can more than help her. He's already promised that, hasn't he?

He moves his lips slowly against hers. They simultaneously back up to her bed, and slowly fall down on it. Troy runs his calloused finger against her soft cheek, pushing a wispy piece of hair off of her face.

He is going to go slow. Nothing more than making out is going to happen because in order for him to be fully trusted, he is going to have to prove himself.

He knows that she's already letting down one of her barriers, and that must mean that she trusts him, so he isn't going to abuse that. He is going to show her and give her a reason to trust him. He's not just going to take it for granted and hurt her.

Her hands glide over his upper arms; feeling his muscles underneath the long white sleeves of his shirt, covered by a green t-shirt. One small hand grasps at his neck, and pulls him closer; on top of her.

He readjusts himself so that he's not crushing her under his body weight. Even though it takes all his will power to make sure that his chest isn't touching her soft chest so that air can circulate, he still does pull back a little.

They both take a deep breath. Their breathing is ragged as dark blue meets deep brown. Troy sees the twinkle in her eye. Something that no one has seen since she was with Jason.

He lightly traces the side of her face with his rough fingers. He wants to run his hands through her soft curls. He wants to trace ALL of her curves with his index finger. He wants to memorize every little detail about her.

Gabriella leans up and connects their lips again. They somehow manage to rotate on the bed so that she can straddle him without breaking lip contact. They both let out small laughs as they move awkwardly to find comfort in a position both of them like. Rolling over on a twin size bed is harder than what Gabriella and Troy thought.

Troy's tongue is asking for entrance, but before Gabriella can grant access, she throws her hand out onto the bedside table to settle herself so she doesn't fall off, and in that moment the plate of cookies Zeke brought Sharpay that morning fall to the floor.

Gabriella and Troy both lurch up at the sound of the plate breaking on the wooden floor. Gabriella's eyes go wide at what she just saw. How could she be so stupid! She doesn't care about the cookies, and in a million years she never would've thought that she would care about the blonde that the cookies were meant for, but here she was…guilty.

Troy stares down at the plate with the shattered cookies spread out around that side of the bed. "Forget it," he whispers. "We'll clean it up later. We have time."

Gabriella looks back at him. Her eyes are narrow, and the space between her two eyes go inward; a clear sign that she's working herself into anger.

How can she forget it? She is guilty, and in a way she feels like she's cheating on Sharpay. Gabriella knows that if Sharpay dated Jason the previous year, she would dislike the blonde even more. So is it really fair that she's going against her word that she told Sharpay?

"Forget it? That's not even mine. Sharpay's gonna kill me," Gabriella groans as she untangles herself from Troy's legs and moves away from him.

Troy sighs while running his hand through his hair. That could've been one of the best make out sessions he's had; a clear indication in his pants as he felt his semi-hard member.

He watches as she runs her fingers through her hair to get out the snarls. How she's biting her lower lip while glancing anywhere in her room besides at him. How she is still trying to control her breathing; much like himself.

He doesn't know why she's still freaking out.

"Brie that was--" Troy doesn't finish his sentence due to Gabriella.

"Don't finish that."

"Why? What's wrong?" _Now_, he wants to add, but keeps the one word from slipping through his mouth.

"You were my room mates boyfriend for three years Troy!" She can't help the panic in her voice. "How can you not see what's wrong with that? You have to at least consider Sharpay's feelings in all of this! You can't have just forgotten about her!"

Troy's heart drops all the way to his stomach. He knows he's losing Gabriella with every second he keeps her waiting with the honest answers. He has to trust that if he's honest with her, then she'll be honest back and hopefully just finally admit how right they are together.

"Honestly? I haven't thought of her since the break up. I've only been thinking about you." He doesn't receive the reaction he thought he would get. Her eyes gloss over, and she moves that much further away from him. "Just…Brie don't walk away, please."

She shakes her head. Why can all of a sudden she be so ready for him, but then Sharpay shows up in her mind again? "It's not right."

"Just give me a chance. I can make it better." He pleads.

"You can't make it better if you have no idea what's going on Troy. Sharpay…Sharpay was your girlfriend for three years. You can't…you have to…think about how she'll feel!"

Troy can't believe this is what's keeping him from Gabriella. Sharpay! "SHARPAY?! SHARPAY?!" He explodes. "You won't even consider being my girlfriend because of SHARPAY?!" Gabriella's silent. His eyes narrow and become a frosty blue; a blue Gabriella hopes she'll never see again. "Maybe you're not the girl I thought you were."

"…I think you should leave."

* * *

Sharpay's eyes are wide with shock. She quickly hurries to the lobby's door and pretends that she's just coming in as her bedroom door opens and Troy walks out.

He slams it shut and Sharpay actually winces a little at how violent he looks. She swallows quietly and slowly precedes inside. He looks up and catches her eye while preceding to exit, and Sharpay balls her fists and walks right by him.

She felt the heat as he walked by, she felt the smoke rising from his ears, she felt the piercing eyes throw vicious, murdering daggers into her head. She does everything she can to keep from smiling a little at knowing he's getting what he deserves because of their break up. If he would've just broken up with her sooner, then nothing like this would be happening.

As she reaches her bedroom door, and hears him slam the lobby's door shut, she smiles fully.

Yes, he's getting what he deserves for dragging out their relationship.

Sharpay freezes once more in the very same spot she froze not even fifteen minutes ago. Her victorious smile tugs downward to a point where you wouldn't be able to tell that she's doing a victory song in her head.

There's a slight whimper on the other side of the door. Gabriella is crying.

Sharpay hesitates by the door. She doesn't do too well with tears; even with her own.

But why does she feel sad all of a sudden?

* * *

Jason tightens his grip around Kelsi's hand as the chilly air nips at them.

"Everything's so peaceful at nighttime," Kelsi states with a happy smile on her face.

Jason smiles at her. "I have a feeling things are gonna be good this year."

Kelsi looks at Jason and blushes a little as she realizes he is looking at her with such a piercing stare.

"What are you looking at?"

Jason grins before leaning in and sharing a longing kiss with the brunette in front of him.

* * *

Sharpay doesn't think about entering her room; she just does. She is tired of avoiding her room as she knows that Gabriella was in there the whole later half of the day, and usually Sharpay is by herself in their room on Monday nights since that's when Gabriella and Troy would study in the library, but Sharpay knows that that's probably not gonna happen anytime soon again.

She puts on a shocked face as she sees Gabriella sitting on her bed, cross legged, typing furiously on her computer. Gabriella's already in her clothes that she wears for pajamas, and has her hair in a messy bun.

She looks up at Sharpay, but doesn't say anything. Gabriella doesn't even have words for the blonde. How can she when all she thinks about when looking at Sharpay is the brown haired, blue eyed boy?

Sharpay cocks her hip out to the side when Gabriella looks down and narrows her eyes. Gabriella doesn't pay attention, so Sharpay gives it ten more seconds before giving up and starts changing into her own pajamas.

She slides into her bed and looks at Gabriella who's still furiously typing on her computer with books spread out on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Sharpay hisses while putting her sleeping mask over her eyes.

"I'm studying for my Earth Science test on Friday."

"Don't you have a partner or something?" Sharpay growls even though she knows the truth. Maybe Gabriella will open up to her? But if she does, what can she do? Make snide comments about Troy Bolton? That doesn't sound too bad.

She doesn't see Gabriella momentarily pause, even though she can hear it. "No. Not anymore." There's a silence. There's no more typing, and Sharpay can hear a book closing. "There." Gabriella snaps lowly. "I'm done."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah. I'm more than done."

Sharpay turns over on her side, and away from Gabriella. She waits minutes to hear the even breathing of her roommate. "We'll see about that," she murmurs so quietly that even if Gabriella was awake, she wouldn't be able to hear. "We'll see."


	32. Sympathy

_And I get scared but I'm not crawling on my knees  
Oh yeah everything's all wrong yeah  
Everything's all wrong yeah  
Where the hell did I think I was?_  
Sympathy--Goo Goo Dolls

* * *

'_Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.'_ The words were said on average about five times a day for the last three days. She just won't give up, and Gabriella is about to lose it even more. She's at the point where she's about to cave and it doesn't matter who's listening.

"You want to know what's up?" Gabriella doesn't wait for her to answer. "Fine. I'll tell you what's up."

Gabriella didn't have to wait for her to ask her this time as they're alone in the room. She had just seen Troy and he still continued to ignore her; exactly what he's been doing the past four days.

Gabriella slumps onto the bed. "Troy is ignoring me! He's fucking ignoring me and it's not just my fault. Oh no, it's your fault too!" Gabriella can't stop the words from flying out. "I messed up BIG time and I have no idea what to do!"

The girl in the room with her sighs, "Don't you have other friends to talk about this with?"

"Unfortunately they're all busy." Gabriella hisses. "Plus you're the one who's been bugging me all week to tell you what's wrong, and now I have. Please feel free to yell and tell me what I'm doing is so wrong."

There's a silence and the girl sighs while crossing her skinny arms over her chest. "That's his charm. He lures girls in, and then BAM! He makes you feel bad. It comes with the package of Troy Bolton."

Gabriella huffs and narrows her eyes on the sight of her wall. "He's different. He's not like that." There's no way that Gabriella's gonna believe that coming from the girl who's sitting on her bed and doing her nails.

"Believe what you want. I'm just warning you."

Gabriella huffs and blinks back the one tear that escapes and clouds her vision.

The blonde turns her head and sighs. "You'll get over it. It's not like you're the one he dated for THREE years." Sharpay meant for it to sound comforting, but it just sounded like she was throwing the fact that she dated Troy first in Gabriella's face.

"Thanks Sharpay." Gabriella says sarcastically.

* * *

Taylor paces back and forth near the exit to the boys' locker room door. She's in the hallway that leads down two ways. One way leads to the exit, and the other just leads around the building to the opening to the gym.

"Come on Chad," Taylor whispers as she's trying to wait patiently, but that flew out the window five minutes prior. He promised her that he would be the first one out, and that they could go to the cheesy movie they play in the foreign language building when he was done with baseball practice. Even though she was worried about being in that hallway, and that a certain other dark skinned boy could come out first, Taylor trusts Chad. If he said that he would be the first one out, then he would be.

Taylor distracts herself by turning her back away from the locker room door and looks at the showcase of various trophies across the hall.

She doesn't hear the footsteps behind herself. She doesn't feel the air change. She only notices that said someone behind her when she feels something connect with her butt.

She jumps in surprise and turns around to see that Chad was just bringing his hand back to his side.

She glares at him and looks around nervously to see if anyone else is present. "What the hell was that for Danforth?"

He smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. I couldn't resist though."

Taylor rolls her eyes while allowing him to put his arm around her shoulder, and pull her to his side tightly. "Come on. We're gonna be late."

Chad knows that has two meanings. One is more obvious than the other. 1) it's true that they were going to be late if they didn't leave right then. That is the more obvious of the two reasons. 2) Taylor doesn't want to accidentally run into Zeke again. She had already had, and it was awkward enough, but with Chad there in person too? That is just too much to think about.

"Anything for you." Chad says knowing he isn't ready himself to face Zeke with Taylor at his side. It's one thing to be separated by the baseball field or basketball court, but it's another thing when you're only apart by five feet of thin air.

* * *

Sharpay walks out of the drama building with Emma, Ryan, and Kelsi.

"It's seven at night and what makes it even more horrible is that it's a FRIDAY night." Sharpay complains.

Emma, Ryan, and Kelsi all share a short lived amused smile.

Emma makes it her job to talk to Sharpay. "Shar, what's up? You never complain about the days."

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "What's wrong is that we're all going back to our rooms when the night's still young." She forgets that the next day Kelsi has a very early soccer bus to catch, along with herself as she signed up with Zeke due to him promising her more cooking recipes, and then Ryan and Emma are gonna head into town. "I ALSO have a grieving roommate to go back too."

"Who's fault is that?" Kelsi points out quietly so only Ryan hears.

"I have a plan. Expect a text."

* * *

"That's it!" Sharpay yells; making Gabriella spring up from laying on her bed wearing only a tank top and short black shorts. Gabriella's eyes go wide as the blonde storms into the room as the last time Gabriella talked to Sharpay it was in the afternoon, and even though she left mad, Gabriella thought she would come back cooled off. "Get up! We're going out. I can not take you grumbling about tonight. I actually need to sleep."

"You need to sleep?! I need too. I have to get up at fucking three thirty in the morning for soccer!"

Sharpay rolls her eyes while reaching under her bed and pulling out three brown paper bags. Gabriella kinks an eye brow with no amusement on her face. "Have you lost your mind?"

Sharpay glares at her. She can have fun with this. "Get off your lazy ass Montez, and follow me."

* * *

Troy looks around the boys' dorm. There's various pizza boxes scattered around the room; some have pieces left, and others just forgotten crusts. He sees a guy from the back of his head and instantly recognizes him. The guy is watching girls beach volleyball on TV, and Troy rolls his eyes as he sees the screen pause and then rewind to the point so you can clearly see the women's cleavage.

Troy wishes that Chad isn't busy with Taylor that night. He wishes that him and Zeke didn't get into that fight about Sharpay and Gabriella weeks ago. He wishes Jason and Kelsi aren't dating. He's wishing Ryan isn't out with Emma.

It doesn't matter how hard you wish though because those things are happening, and Troy has no one now.

Except for Kent.

Troy walks into the lobby more and sits down on the couch. Kent shifts over and gives Troy a confused look.

"What's with you?"

Troy purposefully looks at the TV. "Don't want to talk about it."

Kent shrugs his shoulders. "Whatever. You're going to the game tomorrow, aren't you?"

Troy sighs while rolling his eyes. He's already signed up with everyone in the group (Sharpay included), and since this isn't an official game of the season yet, the students have to pay to go on one of the three buses that are going.

"Unfortunately."

Kent narrows his eyes on Troy. He's not oblivious to the fact that Troy had never really liked him, but at least he's trying.

"Is it because of Gabi?"

"Gabriella." Troy corrects while standing up. Why be around someone you don't want to be around. "And no. It has nothing to do with her."

Kent rolls his eyes as Troy starts to leave. "Right, and I didn't sleep with her." The soccer captain says sarcastically. Kent feels a vibrating in his pocket and takes out his cell phone.

He smirks as he reads it.

_-Boys dorm. Alcohol involved._

_Evans-_

* * *

"You look puzzled," Jason comments when drawing Kelsi slowly to him and planting a small kiss to her lips. Their plans had been put on hold as they were going to meet in the foreign language building to watch the movie of the night, but for some odd reason the movie projecter didn't work, and now they're left in front of the building thinking of other ways to spend the night so they don't have to use that much energy since they have an early morning.

Kelsi looks up at Jason and after rushing over to the language building after drama got out, she barely had time to enter the building before Jason came back out to tell her that it was canceled.

"Yeah."

Jason wants to laugh out loud when Kelsi doesn't explain further. Doesn't she know by now that he'll just ask her too. "Want to share?"

Kelsi laughs a little. "You'll think this is weird."

"Try me." He can't help his thumb that is skimming the hem of her shirt while holding onto her waist to be near.

"Okay…here it comes: Sharpay."

He waits a moment longer for her to evaluate, but nothing comes. "Yes," he says slowly. "The name is weird."

Kelsi giggles now. "No, it's not that. Well…actually it is a weird name, but no. She has something planned tonight. It's not good."

Just then a ringing went off; indicating that Kelsi received a text. Jason kirks an eye brow while Kelsi scrambles around in her bag to find it.

She opens her phone and allows Jason to peer over her shoulder, and then the next thing they know Jason's phone is going off too.

"Now this is interesting. What is she playing at?" Jason asks in a whisper.

Kelsi shuts her phone and starts to put it away. "I don't know. What should we do?"

Jason shrugs, "I say we go. We show up. We be polite. We then leave as soon as possible."

Kelsi giggles as Jason offers her his hand and they start walking off towards the boys' dorm room. "You make it sound like an uncomfortable business cocktail dinner."

"Eh, not quite, but close enough."

* * *

"Well this sucks," Chad says while walking Taylor back to her room.

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't in the movie mood anyways," she half lies to make him feel better.

Chad flashes her a smile while running his thumb over her knuckles of the hand that he's holding. Chad is about to say something when both of their cell phones go off. They look at each other confused for a minute before retrieving the electronic devices.

After reading it two times to be sure that she understands, Taylor looks up and sees that Chad got the same thing. "Has she lost her mind?" Chad asks.

Taylor sighs. "I don't know. I haven't talked to Gabi about her yet, but I think…" Taylor sounds hesitant about this, "I THINK, that they might be getting along."

Chad bites his tongue. He had a feeling before that Taylor hadn't talked to Gabriella about what happened between Troy and her, but now that Taylor is telling him this, he knows that Gabriella hasn't told Taylor yet.

"Maybe."

"Should we go?" Taylor asks.

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

Taylor laughs as they turn around.

* * *

First to arrive besides Kent who was already waiting for them in the lobby was surprisingly not Sharpay or Gabriella. Kelsi and Jason walk hand and hand into the lobby; expecting the worst, but only get more confused when they see just Kent still watching girls beach volleyball.

"What's going on?" Jason asks at seeing the empty lobby that's usually filled with guy students. "Where is everyone?"

"There's football weight lifting tonight and some hour meeting for them." Kent explains as Jason knows that at least half of their class plays football, and they're class isn't that big either. "Then others are getting busted for breaking into the Head Masters office. Big fuckers if you ask me. How stupid is the class below us?"

Kelsi and Jason both roll their eyes. "Who knows?" Kelsi mumbles uninterested by their conversation.

"And others just simply don't appreciate watching good ole' volleyball in swimsuits."

At the sound of the door opening Kelsi nor Jason ever expected to be so happy to see Emma and Ryan walk in.

The two people that just entered looked around confused. "Is this where Shar was talking about?" Emma asks.

Before anyone can answer you can hear very two distinct voices arguing about something simple. "I don't know Chad."

"Come on Tay. It's alcohol! How bad can it be?"

Chad and Taylor walk in as they're unaware of the other five people in the room. "How bad can it be? It's Sharpay!"

Chad rolls his eyes. "It's alcohol and I haven't had some in a while."

A clearing of the throat brings the two out of their little banter and they turn to the one other person who just walked in. Zeke.

Taylor and Chad for the first time look around and notice the only people that are missing are Gabriella, Troy, and Sharpay. Only Chad knows that Troy probably wasn't invited since it would be too awkward.

Taylor looks at Zeke; trying to form words, but can't so she looks away and at Kelsi for some help, but everyone's silent before Zeke speaks up.

"Sharpay?"

There's no other explanation to it. The only person crazy enough to bring them together at a time like this would be Sharpay Evans.

"Yeah," Everyone else breaths out just as the blonde and the reluctant brunette who's still in her tank top and black shorts walk through the door.

"Evans, what is this about?" Chad speaks over everyone who's also shouting incoherent questions to her-- 'What's in the bags?' 'What the hell Shar?' 'Are you crazy?'

Sharpay gives off a huge, loud whistle to quiet everyone down. She walks past them and leaves Gabriella to stand by Chad and Taylor who give her silent questions. All Gabriella can do is shrug her small shoulders.

"Calm down people! I think it's time for all of us to relax for one night. There's no teachers around, no other kids, and we have plenty of alcohol to last us so we don't get drunk, but we get the nice buzz we all like." She pulls out three very BIG bottles of a clear liquid, and sets them on the coffee table while pushing an empty pizza box to the ground to make room.

"Vodka?" Jason asks as the only ones smiling in the room right now are Kent and Sharpay.

"I don't drink vodka straight," Kelsi murmurs.

"Me either," Taylor adds.

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "Haven't you ever heard of a screwdriver? Just put it with orange juice."

"And where do you suppose we get orange juice?" Taylor asks.

"Danforth, do the drink machines behind me not work?"

Chad shuffles in his spot. "Um…no. They work."

"Good. Now get some orange juice for the two girls." Sharpay grins slyly at everyone else in the room as Chad follows her orders right away. "If you don't want to participate I fully understand, but how many opportunities do we get here at this boring academy to have a night to ourselves?" She looks everyone in the eye. "Now the real question: who's in?"

"Me!" Kent says right away; like a boy on Christmas.

"We need shot glasses."

"I'm on it," he volunteers while hurrying off to his room which is on the third floor.

Everyone looks around at each other.

"It's kind of risky." Kelsi whispers to Jason who already has a look in his eye that says he's gonna stay.

"The teachers are no where to be seen," Zeke comments.

Emma sighs. "I'm in. Ry?"

Ryan steps forward to share a double seat with Emma over by the coffee table, and away from the others who almost all look unsure still.

Kelsi spots Emma ruffling her hand through Ryan's hair, and has to wonder if they're together. Maybe tonight she'll find out.

"Us too!" She volunteers as she pulls Jason over to the last double seat across from Emma and Ryan.

Everyone looks surprised as they slowly start heading over to the couches and chairs. Taylor very deliberately picks the couch that can fit four people easily for space. Chad looks at her weird since there's an arm chair that they could've sat in, but nonetheless sits down when she pats the seat next to herself. Instead Zeke takes the red arm chair.

Gabriella is the only one left by the door. "Come on Montez. You're the reason why I'm doing this." Sharpay demands.

"But I have a game tomorrow! So does Kelsi!"

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "If you haven't noticed, we all have to get up early too for the disgusting buses. Any other excuse?"

Gabriella glares, but follows Sharpay over to the empty couch and sits down on one end, while Sharpay sits down on the other end. Gabriella and Sharpay didn't get quite lucky though as there's only one cushion separating them instead of two.

Kent came bouncing into the room and quickly discarded of the shot glasses by passing them around and then taking a seat directly in the middle of Sharpay and Gabriella.

"A guy can only dream of this pleasure ladies." He puts both of his arms around both of their shoulders, and both girls whack his arm automatically.

"Let the fun begin." Sharpay declares.

* * *

Maybe he was wrong? Maybe he went about it the wrong way? Maybe he should just give up and accept the fact that Gabriella and him are just meant to be friends.

He shuts his eyes violently and blocks out the TV that is on a channel that is playing a rerun of The Office. He shuts it off blindly with the remote before dropping it to the ground and putting his pillow over his face.

It will be okay. He'll just have to accept the fact that they're nothing more than friends. Even though his whole body is telling him that it's impossible for that to happen. But he can hope can't he?

If he can just talk to her to see what she's thinking then he can start to move on. But, if those were the last words he spoke to her back in her dorm room, then he is going to change that somehow. No matter what happens he's not gonna let their fight be the last conversation they have.

Troy sighs while fishing his phone out of his pocket. He dials her number by heart and holds it up to his ear; only to hear her voicemail pick up right away.

That is a bad sign for their friendship.

* * *

Kelsi looks around at all her friends while sipping lightly at the orange juice her and Taylor split. Jason has his arm around her while he finishes up his fourth shot. He assured her that he knows when to stop drinking, and that he can before he gets close to being drunk, but Kelsi is doubting that now.

"Bathroom Kels?" Taylor asks while having Gabriella looping arms with her.

Kelsi nearly jumps off the couch in a hurry, and it's not because she has to go to the bathroom. "Yes please."

When the three reach the boys' bathroom down the hall, Kelsi turns around and locks the door from the inside.

"What's up?" Kelsi asks.

Taylor looks away and at their brunette friend who's currently keeping herself standing by clutching onto the sinks countertop.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask Gabi." Taylor directs.

Gabriella hiccups, "Me?!"

"Yes you. Evans has seemed to taking a liking to you. She's given you one whole bottle of vodka for yourself." Taylor says sternly.

Gabriella rolls her eyes. "You guys can have some too. I don't care."

Taylor and Kelsi sigh while looking at each other. This isn't like Gabriella. A part of Taylor feels hurt that she didn't come to her right away, but then again she had been pretty busy with Chad and avoiding Zeke.

"Is everything okay Gabs?" Kelsi asks softly.

Gabriella looks around at the ground for a while. She's being split into two that night. The lesser part is her rational part; the part that would talk and confide in them. Her other part is not so cooperative, and would rather just keep quiet so she doesn't give her friends more problems to deal with.

"I don't want to talk about it," she mutters.

"Is it about Troy? Is that why he's not here tonight?" Kelsi asks as no one in the gang thinks that the reason he's not there is because Sharpay doesn't want him there either. For once Sharpay and Gabriella agree on something.

"I don't want to talk about it." Gabriella insists more strongly now. "Can we please just go back to the lobby?"

Taylor nods her head sullenly. "Sure. I think Chad and I were gonna start heading off anyways."

* * *

As the girls were in the bathroom Sharpay and Emma were playing pool. They were playing with Ryan and Zeke, but the two of them went over to the table to bring out some snacks.

"So you and my brother?" The alcohol in Sharpay helps disguise her worry about their relationship. Emma bites her bottom lip to try to hide the smile that appears on her face. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much…we're just going into town tomorrow."

Sharpay kinks an eyebrow. "You like him? Like you really, REALLY like him?"

Emma nods her head. "…Yeah."

"Then go for it." The blonde whispers. She knows what it's like to be loved, and even though she doesn't know for sure if Troy ever really did love her, she likes the idea still. Emma should get that feeling too, and if it's with her brother then she at least knows that her best friend is in good hands.

"Really?" Emma squeals with delight.

Sharpay forces a smile. "If you're happy, then I'm happy." It's a lot harder than what she thought it was going to be to say.

"Thank you. I'm gonna tell him tomorrow." Emma squeals; making the alcohol visible in her. She throws her arms around Sharpay in a hug, and hurries off and over to Ryan who's having a discussion with Chad.

"That was good advice Shar. Maybe if you told Gabi that then she wouldn't be sulking right now." A deep voice says from behind.

Sharpay turns around and sees Zeke holding a pool stick.

"Eavesdropping isn't good Baylor."

* * *

By 10 o'clock that night everyone had eased out of the boys' dorm. Chad and Taylor were the first to leave; quietly exiting as to not draw attention to themselves with a certain other dark skinned boy looming around with a brooding expression on his face. Ryan and Emma were next as Emma still had that dreamy look on her face, and Sharpay couldn't tell if Ryan suspected anything at all. Kelsi and Jason were the last couple to leave surprisingly as Kelsi wasn't into all that drinking when there was a chance to get caught; it also didn't help that the football team was getting back from their long weight training and meeting, but Jason wanted to make sure that Gabriella was okay. Everyone could tell that she drank the most, but no one knew why and when someone asked, she would walk away without answering.

Kent disappeared to his room when Chad came back from dropping Taylor off, and they walked up together seeing as their rooms are right by each others. Zeke soon followed as he offered to help clean up, but Sharpay declined; a very unlikely thing for her to do.

"So Montez, what do you think?" She calls from where she's packing up the almost empty two bottles of vodka.

Gabriella squints her eyes open from laying on the couch, and moans in response. Considering she didn't eat dinner, and she drank everything Sharpay gave her in three hours, she's drunk and feeling sick.

"Well, let's go. You have a soccer game tomorrow morning." Sharpay says as if she's speaking to a kindergartener.

"I hate mornings," Gabriella complains when Sharpay places her arm under Gabriella's and starts to hoist her up.

The blonde can smell the alcohol on her roommate and swipes her free hand in front of her face to clear the air. "You smell like booze."

Gabriella giggles, "I liked that last drink you gave me. What was it?"

"Let's not talk about it. You're giving me a headache." Instead of going out of the building, Sharpay turns towards the staircase and slowly, but every so surely she get's Gabriella going up the stairs.

After stumbling a little, Gabriella finally gets the hang of walking up the steps slowly so she doesn't fall. "Hey Shar?"

"It's Sharpay."

Gabriella sighs dramatically; something her roommate taught her. "Are you sad?"

"Do I look sad?" She quips.

"No. No you don't, but sometimes…at night…I hear you."

Sharpay kinks an eye brow. "You're mental right now."

"No." Gabriella shakes her head animatedly. "I don't think I am. But I hear you. I HEAR you! And you're sad. What are you sad about?"

Sharpay sighs. There's a very good chance that Gabriella won't remember this in the morning. She's known her for three years and has only seen her after getting drunk three times in total, and not once had Gabriella remembered anything.

"I just am."

"Why?"

"Because how would you like it if you were with someone for three years, THREE fucking years and find out that everything might've been a lie?"

Gabriella shrinks back a little as they near a door, and doesn't say anything. She doesn't even realize where they are.

"Remember, your bed is the one by the window." Sharpay opens the door and nudges her in.

"Where are you going?" Gabriella whispers.

"I have to clean up still. Sleep tight." Sharpay smirks as Gabriella stumbles into the room and shuts the door on herself.

* * *

**Author's note--One more chapter left for this story. I don't know when I'll put it up since I'm pretty busy with school starting and tennis this week, but hopefully it'll be before the weekend. Review please, and tell me what you think. **

**I also want to thank One Tree Hill for giving me the idea for this chapter. If you're a OTH fan then you know the episode I'm talking about wtih the cheerleading competition in season three? **


	33. Me, You, and My Medication

_Can you hear it?  
Can you hear me screaming?  
Can you feel it?  
Do you feel it?  
Coming down  
You gotta get up  
Can you get up  
Off the ground  
I wanna hear it  
Wanna hear you breathing  
_Me, You and My Medication--Boys Like Girls

* * *

Bodies tangle. Legs invade space; space that is not their own. Arms bump into warm heated skin. And a light is flicked on.

Gabriella groans loudly while rolling over onto her stomach, and clamping her mouth shut as her stomach rolls around.

"Evans! Do you always have to be up before the normal?" Gabriella's groggy voice is heard.

A deep throated chuckle echoes in the room and it's like nails on a chalkboard to the brunette who's tank top had ridden up in the night and is now showing a good amount of skin.

"You woke you up like a half hour ago, and vomited. This is the thanks I get?"

Gabriella wants to whirl around and see who's speaking as she now knows it's not Sharpay, but she can't as a giant jackhammer is making home in her head. Gabriella slowly lets the pillow that's on the top of her head fall to the side, and holds herself up by pushing her arms into the mattress.

Gabriella stares at the brunette boy in front of her as he's only wearing low rise jeans with his green and white plaid boxers visible. "Oh my God!" She breathes out as her mind is working in overload to try to remember the previous night, and her eyes go wide as she finds that she only remembers Sharpay drowning her in alcohol.

The male chuckles again while drying off his upper body from taking a shower across the hall. "That's not the normal response I get in the morning."

Her breathing is rapid and she has to shut her mouth again to keep the acid down. Just thinking about what she could have done the previous night makes it that much difficult to keep herself from spewing her lunch from the other day.

"You didn't…and I didn't…and we didn't…oh my God."

"Calm down Montez. It's not like it would've been your first time."

Gabriella groans in frustration. She is going to kill Sharpay for this. Gabriella buries her head into the pillow, and lets her body relax.

"What time is it?" She peeps as the weight on the queen size bed shifts.

She opens her right eye and sees the boy lay down next to her.

"Two in the morning."

"What are YOU doing up?" She shrieks while instantly regretting it as her face turns green and she quickly leans over the bed, and feels her throat constrict before a burning sensation takes over and tears come to her eyes.

She tries to hold her hair back, but feels another hand already collecting her loose strands. When she's done making a fool of herself she plops down onto the mattress and looks up at the white ceiling filled with pictures of girls.

"Looks like someone can't handle their liquor," he teases as Gabriella glares at him.

"I can't believe this is happening. I'm supposed to leave on a bus in two hours!"

She hears a heavy sigh, "I'll wake you up at three thirty and you can get ready then." He suggests.

Gabriella nods her head as her eyes droop shut already. "Thanks…Kent."

* * *

For the first time since school started Sharpay doesn't wake up from a moaning roommate. There is no whimpers in the air. The only sound she can hear is coming from her pink heels.

She smiles into the mirror, and even though it's three thirty in the morning, she doesn't care.

There's a knock on the door, and Sharpay already knows who it is. "Come in Zeke!"

"Zeke?" A very confused, a very feminine voice asks. Taylor pokes her head into the room as she remembers about a week ago that Gabriella and her planned on meeting up for a very early breakfast. "I'm not Zeke."

"Obviously," Sharpay mutters while very deliberately staying stationed at her vanity.

"Do you know where Gabi is?" Taylor asks straight to the point.

"Do I look like her keeper? No."

The dark skinned girl rolls her eyes and glares at the blonde. "It seemed like you were last night."

"Her choice. Not mine."

"Whatever. I'll go look for her myself," Taylor hisses.

* * *

"You so owe me Montez," Kent's voice holds amusement as he's busy tying his shoes while she enters with her duffel bag 'someone' very deliberately left by his door that previous night.

Gabriella swipes at her wet curls as she had just taken a shower with Kent's help. He very quietly and secretly put up an 'Out of service' sign on the boys' bathroom on the third floor so that she could use it without anyone walking in.

"I think seeing me in a towel is good enough." Gabriella says hastily while just standing there awkwardly; waiting for him to leave as she tries to block out her headache that seems to be getting worse.

Kent by now has a shirt on as the reason why he was up at the insanely unreasonable time was because he couldn't sleep and if he did fall asleep then he wouldn't be able to get up for the game.

"Well?" Gabriella asks as Kent just sits on his bed.

"Is there something you would like?" There's a crooked smile on his face.

Gabriella would have rolled her eyes if her headache wasn't taking over, but instead she decides on going at it a softer way. "Can you please get out?"

Kent rolls his eyes and grumbles, "It's not like I haven't seen you before."

"What?"

Kent stands up and makes his way to his bedroom door. "Nothing."

Gabriella starts getting dressed as moving around hurts a lot more than just standing still.

* * *

"Every soccer girl looks pumped up already." Chad comments as it's just him, Jason, and Taylor standing in front of their bus that's behind the soccer teams bus.

"Even Kelsi." Jason adds while looking down the sidewalk and watching her bounce around with joy with the other ten girls.

"Where's Gabi? I couldn't find her this morning." Taylor's voice holds worry in it.

"I think we're about to find out," Chad points over to the quad and all three heads stare at the slow moving girl who's wearing her warm up shirt and sweat pants with sunglasses even though it's dark out.

Jason and Chad both hold in their snorts of laughter while Taylor looks at her with concern.

"What happened to you?" Jason asks in a rather loud tone.

Before Gabriella can answer she glances around herself as the street lights help outline everything, and her breath is momentarily lost when Troy comes into view. Even wearing just a simple pair of loose jeans and t-shirt makes her breath get caught in her throat.

She's never had that happened to her as when she was even with Jason she could always maintain her cool, but maybe it was being apart from Troy for that week that is getting to her, and even though they are only friends she didn't feel like friends back on Monday in her room. She felt something more, and maybe not talking with him isn't worth it if all she has to do is announce her feelings to him.

"Hey man. Took you long enough to get up." Chad greets cheerfully as Troy and him do their guy handshake.

Gabriella takes a quiet deep breath while backing up a little and leaning against the tree for support.

"You okay Gabi?" Jason asks quietly out of the side of his mouth so the oblivious Chad, Troy, and Taylor don't hear as they continue with their own side conversation.

"…Yeah. Just thinking about how to kill Sharpay."

"Wow, you said her first name."

"I have been for the past week."

"You two friends now?" He asks with suspicion.

Gabriella narrows her eyes as the last two members of their 'group' appear almost silently as you can hear Sharpay's low three inch heels.

"Would a friend get another friend drunk right before a soccer game?"

"…I'm guessing not?" Jason asks as everyone goes silent when Zeke and Sharpay appear.

"Let's load up the first bus!" One of the other sports coaches shouts in the distance.

No one moves as other students who were some of the last ones to sign up start rushing past to get to their bus. The gang still has a good ten minutes before their final bus is called for; following closely by the soccer team's bus.

It isn't until Kelsi came bouncing down the three steps of the bus and onto the sidewalk over by the gang that the silence is broken.

"Hey. What's up guys?"

"Someone's a lot more excited than their captain," Sharpay comments with a crooked smirk.

Everyone looks at her and Gabriella balls her little hands up into fists to keep herself from saying something. She thought they were getting somewhere, she thought they were at least going to be pleasant with each other, but she thought wrong. Any thoughts of Sharpay being good to her went out the window the moment she put her in Kent's room.

"What?" the blonde snaps. "Believe it or not I do KNOW that Montez is Captain, and Kelsi's Co-Captain."

Gabriella makes the silent note that she's still being called Montez by her roommate.

"Are you wearing sun glasses?" Zeke asks as he thinks it's a perfectly good question.

"I need water," Gabriella breathes out before departing from them. Not looking back to see the two blue eyes studying her intently.

"She's rude."

"Evans, you practically poured drinks down her throat! Of course she's gonna be like that!" Taylor defends.

Sharpay shrugs her shoulders in a casual way that's way too perky in the morning. "Oh well. Let's go Zeke. They're calling our bus."

Taylor can't help the words that spill from her mouth. "Are you two together?"

Zeke glances over his shoulder. "Does it matter?"

Chad bites his tongue from saying something and instead reaches out and wraps his arm around Taylor's shoulders; drawing her in. He feels Taylor tense up as even the night before they didn't have much, if any, physical contact, and for him to be touching her like this in public, was enough to confirm everyone's suspicions. After Zeke who all of a sudden has a sour face on and Sharpay reach their bus, Taylor relaxes.

* * *

Everyone in the crowd is cheering. Their eyes are on the players out on the field. A light mist is settling in as they are supposed to be getting rain very soon. No one that attends Davidson Academy knew that the school that they're playing is really into soccer, but now they do as they have designated people to stand up on the railings in front of everyone and shout cheers; they're school following behind in repetition.

The score is tied at two-two with only five minutes left. The gang is getting restless as it seems like their team can't keep the ball on the opponents side for more than a couple of seconds; even with Gabriella on the field.

"This is boring," Sharpay comments while going through her phone. "And my hair is going to be ruined if it rains any harder."

Chad stiffens as he was given the worst spot on the bleachers; in between Troy and Sharpay. He originally planned on sitting on the end with Taylor on his other side and the rest of their friends could have sat wherever in the front row, but that idea was squashed as soon as Taylor hung back to talk to Jason and Troy slid in. Jason followed Troy and then Taylor sat on the other end, but then Sharpay and Zeke found them and Sharpay demanded he move down for them to sit.

Chad didn't know who he wanted to sit to the most, Sharpay or Zeke? It was a tough choice, but in the end he didn't have to choose as Sharpay took the lead and pushed Chad even more down the bleachers.

But even as the game's going on and it looks like two of his very close friends are struggling with trying to win the game, Chad can sense his best friend's tenseness. Chad turns his head and looks at Troy to see him staring at one particular brunette girl who's busy trying to steal the ball.

"Everything okay Bolton?" Chad asks just quiet enough to be drowned out by the other team's groans as Gabriella successfully stole the ball, but yet Troy can still hear him.

The basketball captain doesn't take his eyes off of the beauty on the field. "Why wouldn't it?"

"Why don't you just talk to her?"

This gets Troy's attention as he knows that he's been caught red handed at staring at Gabriella. "Because I don't think I'd be able to control myself."

Both boys know how much that statement is true.

"Take it from the expert of waiting," Chad says talking about himself, "It's worth it." He glances down at Taylor and when he's certain Troy's busy staring at Gabriella again he adds quietly, "I hope."

Taylor catches Chad staring as she felt eyes on her from the side. She smiles brightly at him, and Chad smiles back just as cheerful.

* * *

He had tried to block the brunette out of his mind. He really did, but now it is becoming close to impossible. The clouds are turner darker and darker as he knows it will almost be time to walk back to school due to the oncoming rain storm, but Emma just has to stop in the musical store which just so happens to be next to the sports store that is featuring the soccer game Davidson Academy is playing in at the moment.

He sighs as he feels Emma's hand connect with his own and pull him towards the music store with eagerness.

He smiles at her as her warm skin is slowly replacing Kelsi's amused face in his mind, and he slowly, but surely replaces brown hair with blonde, greenish brown eyes for blue. "Help me find the book Ms. Darbus was talking about." Emma instructs; bringing Ryan back down to earth.

Emma might have been planning on telling Ryan how much she's liking him, a lot more than what she's letting on, but now all plans are out the window. They couldn't even spend two hours in town before the stupid rain clouds came. She was gonna tell him in a relaxed setting; possibly at lunch in her favorite café, but now she can't even do that because the café ended up closing early due to the owner who never showed up. Go figure.

She is getting frustrated, and she has decided to just wait it out since it obviously isn't meant to happen that day, and just do her errands like she originally planned on doing.

"I'll take the right side of the store, and you'll take the left." Ryan replies with a smile that can practically be identical to the one he wore when he met Kelsi.

* * *

Gabriella feels ecstatic. She feels the adrenaline still floating through her body. Her legs feel like collapsing, and her mind is like jell-o at the moment, but other than that she's more than happy.

They had just won as another girl on the team who's a starting sophomore, Jessica, made the winning shot. Gabriella had an awesome assist as she is also the one who scored the first two goals, and after that it seemed to her and everyone else that the other team finally realized that she's one of their stronger players and then decided to attack as the ref was too busy watching the ball.

But it didn't matter that she felt like puking, or she had a new bruise on her upper arm, or after her energy is completely gone, she's most likely gonna fall into an uncomfortable position on the bus and sleep the four hours. It just doesn't matter as her whole team comes together in the middle of the field and swoops together in a huge hug.

Kelsi pulls Gabriella aside from everyone on the team and they grab onto each other's arms in happy dance of jumping up and down; not caring that they look like five year old girls having to go to the bathroom. They don't care that the bottom half of their bodies and a little bit of their torsos are covered in splattered mud. They especially don't care that it is starting to down pour.

"We won! You did it!" Kelsi yells over the thunder, and the students who all rush back to the buses and school.

Gabriella shakes her head with a huge smile. "No! WE did it! As a team!"

"Whatever you say! Let's go before we get sick!" Kelsi shouts over another cackle of thunder.

The two girls let go of each other and Kelsi starts jogging after the rest of the students. Gabriella doesn't care that she's getting wet. She takes her time as it felt good to be out on the field again. It is different than practicing against your teammates or boys' team. When you're actually playing an unofficial game against another school; it's EXTREMELY different as you get that satisfaction of knowing that you accomplished something important to you.

It also helps knowing that this is her first game played since her father's, brother's, and sister's deaths.

She takes a moment to look at the stands where the last of her classmates are clearing out. She takes a deep calming breath; blocking out the jackhammer in her head that is telling her that she needs sleep.

She did it. She played her first soccer game without her father there. Maybe this is the first step to entering the 'adult' world.

Her breath gets caught in her throat as she expects most of the students are on the bus checking in, but is mistaken as her eyes meet dark blue. Troy's standing where he was half sitting and half standing for the game. His broad shoulders are being clung to by his t-shirt that he decided to wear, and his original light blue jeans are almost as dark as his eyes. His lips are thin as she swears one side curves up into a crooked smile, but she will never know for sure as Jason comes out of no where and nearly tackles her to the ground.

"Congratulations!"

Gabriella looks back to where Troy was, and blinks shockingly. No one is there.

"You okay?"

Gabriella shakes her head while putting on a convincing smile. "Of course. Let's go. It's cold outside."

"Hell yeah!"

* * *

"Disgusting!" Sharpay says loudly when the buses finally pulled up and the students are released; except the soccer team as they had decided to just have their after meeting on the bus to avoid the rain. "I'm all wet!"

"Want my jacket?" Zeke offers.

Sharpay eyes it up as it's just as drenched as she is along with everyone else. "No. But I do want to know whoever's bright idea it was to open all the windows on the bus for _air circulation!_ Has anyone ever heard of an air conditioner?"

Taylor, Chad, and Jason all roll their eyes as Troy stands more off onto the side in a stiff manner. Even though Zeke and him haven't talked one on one in the past couple of weeks, he still knows when Zeke is starting to get attached to someone.

"I'm gonna take off. No use standing in the pouring rain that followed us here." Chad states. "Tay, you coming back to my room?"

Taylor's and Zeke's eyes catch each others. "Um…" She sees neither anger nor happiness in his eyes. "…Yeah. You said you needed help on homework?"

Chad sighs as he's not oblivious to the stare Zeke and Taylor just shared. "…Yeah. You coming Bolton?"

Troy looks back at the soccer bus, and then back to his roommate who knows too much. "I have to head to the library. Too many tests this year man."

"Mind if I join?" Jason asks.

"Suit yourself."

"Good. I was gonna come either way."

* * *

Troy had sensed there was something more to Jason's earlier comment about wanting to go to the library without Kelsi, a distraction, or some other reason that wouldn't get them kicked out, but he let it slide in front of everyone.

However, he had been right to make assumptions that there was something more on Jason's mind.

"What's up with you and Gabi lately?" He asks in the bluntest way.

Troy freezes for less than a second before rolling his shoulders and switching aisles to pretend to look for a book. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jason rolls his eyes while following hotly on his trail. "Oh really? Let's recap shall we? You two don't say a word to each other. You weren't down in the lobby last night with everyone else. You also are never seen around the quad anymore while sketching her, which by the way dude, when you two do hook up, that's kind of creepy. What do you do with all the drawings of her anyways? I bet you could sell them."

"First, we have like two or three classes together, so maybe we talk when we're alone. Second, what the hell's with the lobby? Chad said something about Sharpay organizing it? To me that sounds like a set up for something, and maybe I wasn't there because my EX was planning it and didn't invite me. Third, it's raining a lot nowadays. We technically don't like to sit out in the rain."

"Just give her a chance. I can pretty much guarantee you that she is head over heels in love with you."

Troy feels something tick inside of him. "If that's the case then why is SHE the one who rejected ME?! You all think that it's me that's hurting her, but deep down she's the one who's calling the shots, and frankly, I'm sick of it!"

"Bolton! Cross! Out of my library!" The librarian's head is seen from around the aisle. Jason stares at Troy in almost awe as he processes what he just heard.

"Maybe it isn't me that you should be talking to Jase."

* * *

"I cannot stand my roommate!" Sharpay rants while pacing the white tiling of the cooking room.

Zeke is busy sitting on top of the counters while pretending to listen while taking in the gorgeous girl in front of him. He already knows what he's gonna say to her. So it's not wrong to admire the person who recently showed up in his dreams.

"She's back to moping around, and I can't stand it! It so depressing that I'm about to go into depression! I don't know what's wrong with her!"

"I think you do." Zeke cuts in softly.

Sharpay stops pacing and turns sharply to look at him. "What?"

"Think about it Shar," he says her nickname slowly, and waits for her to correct him, but she doesn't. "I know you don't want to believe it, but it makes since that she's like this because of the current Troy situation."

"What Troy situation?"

Zeke sighs while hopping down. "The situation where they're not talking."

"She's over that. I made sure of that. I got her drunk last night, she drank away all of her problems. It's what I did to get over him." She says in a 'duh' way.

"Did you really get over him, or are you just telling yourself that?"

Sharpay narrows her eyes to challenge him silently, but he doesn't make a move to talk again. "She won't do anything with Troy because of me. She's too nice to do something like that."

"And meanwhile you're still complaining about her as she's miserable? It doesn't make sense to me. Why can you let Emma go after your brother, but you can't let Gabi take a chance with Troy?"

"…Because…I just can't." _Because I'm not over him._

"You're a really bad liar, you know that?"

"How would you know?"

"It's all in your eyes."

"Whatever. I have to go. I'd rather talk to my depressed roommate than a mushy teenage guy."

"You're a good person Sharpay Evans."

"You really believe that?" She asks in surprise.

"Maybe not at first, but if you dig deep down, then…yeah. I believe that."

The confidence in his voice scares her.

* * *

"I feel ridiculous." Ryan grumbles as Emma and him are slow jogging down the street while he is carrying their newly acquired pink umbrella with teddy bears on it.

"Suck it up." Emma says in a spirited voice. "Come on, I see a cab up ahead."

She points towards the end of the street at the crosswalk and rushes even faster with Ryan moving right along side her. It had started raining even harder as they were meant to leave hours ago to head back to school, but they had convinced each other to stay and wait out the rain by getting lunch, but now it's almost dinner time and it's raining harder than ever. They can hardly see five feet in front of themselves.

"Come on Emma!" Ryan shouts as he grabs her hand and pulls her along faster. His mind takes a moment to think that he never ran in the rain with Kelsi.

Emma sucks in her breath as their hands connect, and she stops as they reach the gutter of the street. Cars are stationed by them as they have the red light, but Emma doesn't care now as she's already all wet; the umbrella doing nothing to help the water splashing up on them from the ground.

"Ry?"

"What's wrong?" Ryan asks as he senses the wariness of her voice.

She takes a deep breath. Screw fate and timing. It means nothing as long as you can accomplish the task at hand. "I have something to tell you."

"Now?!" He asks incredulously.

"Yes now." She swallows loudly as no one can hear due to the rain. She takes another deep breath, "I don't really know how to say this exactly."

Everything happens so fast that no one can control the slick movements of the oncoming car. The driver behind the wheel slams on his breaks, but it does nothing to help as the roads are too slippery and he was traveling too fast for the weather conditions. The other drivers stuck at the red lights all stare and scream in bewilderment. Ryan's eyes go wide as his first instincts kick in and his arms flail outward to push Emma's light weight body out of the way, and he momentarily sees her crash to the wet gravel before his body is thrown up into the air; twisting like a pretzel, and landing in a pile.

* * *

"Why is the window open? It's freezing outside." Sharpay hisses walking into her room and seeing Gabriella sitting on the large window sill; looking outside distantly.

"Did you say something?" Gabriella asks.

Sharpay rolls her eyes while taking off her soaked jacket. She throws it onto their one chair in their room, and notices that it is now covering something. She takes a small look at Gabriella to see if she'll notice what she's doing, but can already see that Gabriella is too distracted by looking outside.

Sharpay quietly picks up her discarded jacket to see Gabriella's camera underneath. It's wrong, but then again Sharpay likes setting her own rules as she delicately picks up the electronic, and turns it on.

She finds the 'review' button automatically and starts skimming through the pictures. Her breath gets caught in her throat as she looks at the mountain tops in the pictures. The canyons that mix with the scenery around school. Even she has to admit, they're beautiful.

But then the pictures change drastically and she sees some of Troy who's just sitting with a content face on. She checks the date and knows that Gabriella had taken them after their break up and before she got into a fight with Troy.

Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong as Sharpay's eyes narrows in suspicion. Is it guilt that she's feeling? She almost lets out a laugh at that thought, but whatever it is, she has a feeling it's not going away.

"What are you doing?" Gabriella asks defensively while snatching her camera away. "I don't go through your stuff."

"And I don't steal boyfriends." Sharpay's stomach hurts even more.

Pain flashes through Gabriella's eyes as she puts down the camera. "I didn't mean too."

The way Gabriella sounds so defeated increases her stomach pain, and she's already starting to get annoyed. "For some odd reason, I believe you _Gabriella._" Gabriella's head whips up with a slight smile on her face. "But I'm still pissed about that." Sharpay's not gonna give her false hope that they can all of a sudden become best friends. "But what the hell are you doing? You steal someone's boyfriend and then just turn away from him? It's like you wasted a perfectly good break up just because you like being _nice!_ Are you ever selfish!?"

Gabriella stumbles back some from Sharpay's outburst. "Believe me, I'm selfish."

"Well you're not acting like it! You broke me and Troy up for what?! To let him be single and move on from you also!? Because that's really dense on your part."

"It wasn't just me who broke you guys up!" Gabriella raises her voice. "Troy wanted it long before this!"

"Well then what are you waiting for!? Get out of here! Go to him! Be with him! Draw pictures of each other! Whatever the hell you guys do, just go do it!" Sharpay practically screams; surprisingly with each word she yells the pain decreases.

Gabriella hesitates as she's wondering if this is Sharpay's own way of blessing her almost relationship with Troy.

"GO! Before I do it my self!" Sharpay demands.

Gabriella doesn't think anymore as she pushes herself out of the room and into the pouring rain.

* * *

Gabriella throws a rock into the air, and watches at it hits the window she was aiming for. She waits impatiently, and then throws another one; watching as it hits the target again.

She waits three seconds and before she can get ready to throw another one, he yanks open his window and looks around with what she can tell, an angry face on, but it's hard to tell with the rain.

"Brie?!" He questions loudly.

"It's me!" She yells back.

"Are you nuts?! It's fucking pouring out!" Gabriella can't deny the anger and hurt laced into his tone. "What are you doing here?! Go back inside!"

"No!" She can't just go back inside. They had been dancing around each other for the past three years, and now it's their last year of high school, she's not going to lose a chance to be with him anymore. "I need to talk to you!"

Troy's truly stunned. There he was laying on his bed just thinking about what he should do with Gabriella, and then she shows up. He doesn't know what to think.

Gabriella can see out of the corner of her eyes that various other windows are open now with curious boys listening also, but she doesn't care. Troy had taken so many chances on her, and now it's her turn to do the same.

"You were right! You were right about everything! I was just too scared to admit it, but here I am! I am declaring my love for you! I don't care who hears it now! I want the whole world to know that I love Troy Bolton!" Her voice cracks some.

The corners of his lips pull upwards, but he maintains a semi straight face. His insides are doing flips at just hearing the words. His eyes stay trained on the girl three floors below him in the pouring rain, her clothes clinging dangerously tight to her body, her waves of curls flattening against her head. She still looks beautiful.

Gabriella takes a deep breath as just yelling her love to him doesn't sound enough. Her barriers are crumbling helplessly in moderate heaps, and she can't stop them; nor does she want too.

"I spent months shutting myself off from the world! I pushed people away, but yet you always managed to slip through the cracks! I might've yelled at you, I might've been angry, but you still stuck around! I want you Troy Bolton, and it scares me, but here we are!" She declares.

"…"

Troy's even more stunned as his heart is beating at an unsteady pace.

"Say something Troy!" Gabriella screams frantically. By now almost all the windows on that side of the building are open, and she blocks out the lustful looks she's receiving from the other boys.

Troy makes a quick decision and shouts, "Don't move!"

The window is left open as Troy sprints down the three flights of stairs, various guys pop their heads out of their room and holler at their basketball captain in congratulations. Troy yanks the lobby's door open; not caring that he pushed past their dorm advisor who stayed completely oblivious to the yelling going on outside and inside.

"Brie!" Troy yells with clear excitement, love, and happiness in his voice.

Gabriella spots Troy turning the corner and starts to run to him. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She shouts as they come together. "I should've just said yes to you the first time instead of drawing it out this long."

Troy shushes her while cupping her left side of the face gently. He gazes into her eyes with a smile playing on his lips. "It doesn't matter. None of it matters. We're together now."

Gabriella beams at him. "I like the sound of that." Her barrier's gone completely, and she won't be able to put it up again.

Troy draws nearer and it's Gabriella who wraps her arms tightly around his neck and pulls him closer to connect their lips.

* * *

Everything is okay. Things somehow sorted themselves out, and it's hopefully for the better. Gabriella shifts a little on the couch and leans her head onto Troy's now dry clad shoulder.

"It's weird seeing your best friend _cuddling_." Jason says as if it's disgusting.

"Hey!" Gabriella exclaims as Troy picks up a pillow that's on the couch in the girls' dorm and throws it at him; hitting him square in the head.

"This game sucks!" Zeke complains as he lost to Kelsi again. "They need to make better racing games."

"Just use the cheat codes," Taylor advises carefully.

The whole gang is in the girls' lobby either cuddling, talking, or playing play station. Everyone except the Evan's twins since no one has seen or heard from Emma or Ryan lately as it's getting kind of dark with the weather picking up even more, and Sharpay is stationed in her room doing something for drama.

"I would if I could remember them," Zeke says bitterly.

"We keep a cheat sheet behind the TV." Taylor says as she gets up to get it quickly before passing it to a stunned Zeke.

"…uh…thanks."

Taylor flashes him a quick smile before proudly sitting down next to an unexpected Chad.

"This is a change," he murmurs quietly into her hair so no one else can hear.

She smiles at him before giving him a peck on the cheek. "A change for the better."

"Even the cheats don't work! Do you like PRACTICE at this game?" Zeke asks stunned by Kelsi winning again.

Jason grins from ear to ear while lightly caressing her shoulders as she's sitting on the ground and in between his feet with her back against the couch. "That's my girl." He encourages.

"At least one of you can win at play station." Troy jokes.

"Oh can it Bolton." Jason quips with a smile good heartedly. "Who beat you last time?"

Troy grumbles as he remembers the night that him, Ryan, Jason, Zeke, and Chad all got together. It seems so long ago when really it was only a month ago.

Gabriella giggles a little before leaning up to Troy's ear and blowing hot air on it. She feels him stiffen a little before relaxing again at the surprise contact. She smirks, "I KNOW you can beat anyone; any day. Want to know how?"

He turns his head so their lips are centimeters apart. "How?" He whispers back as their friends are all to oblivious to the moment between them.

Gabriella smiles with her white teeth showing. "Because I believe in you." Even though they're only talking about winning at video games, the five words have an even bigger impact on Troy then he lets on.

They're lips are about to join once again, but Chad interrupts.

"I'm hungry. You got any food in your room Gabs?"

Gabriella looks at him frustrated as Troy matches her glare, but ten times worse.

"I'll go check Chad." She forces out while she gets up and walks out of Troy's reach.

Gabriella opens her door and sees Sharpay stunned figure standing in the middle of the room with her cell phone open and still on. Emma's picture is on the screen as Gabriella is almost afraid to ask what's wrong.

"Sharpay?"

Sharpay tries to blink back tears, but she can't as she nearly drops the phone.

Gabriella steps forward quickly; not bothering to shut the door to their room as their friends quickly sense something's wrong.

"What's wrong?" Gabriella demands as Sharpay can't form full sentences.

"Ryan…Emma…hospital." She croaks out as Gabriella catches her body limply before she can stumble to the ground in shock.

Gabriella wraps her arms around Sharpay's shaking body as she can't even remember a time when she's actually seen Sharpay break down.

The brunette takes the cell phone and holds it up to her ear. "Emma? Is everything okay?"

There's more sobbing on the other end.

"Gabriella? We're at the hospital. It's bad."

* * *

**Author's note--So this is the last chapter and I'll probably start the sequel next week. A lot of school things going on. Um...I'm also trying to get the first chapter of my new story out tomorrow, so look for that.**

**Thanks for reviewing, it truly means a lot to me. I have no idea how to thank you guys, but just know that almost all authors love reviews, and I'm one of them.**


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